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BY    THE    SAME    AUTHOR. 

MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   A.   DAHLCREN,  Rear-Admiral 

United-States  Navy,    i  vol.    8vo.    With  portrait  and  illus- 
trations.   $3.00. 

"  An  elaborate  and  carefully  prepared  biography."  —Saturday  Evening 
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tiago, and  other  beautiful  cities  of  the  South  Seas." 

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Republic  (Washington). 

JAMES  R.  OSGOOD   AND  COMPANY,  BOSTON. 


WASHINGTON  WINTER 


BY 


MADELEINE  VINTON   DAHLGREN 


BOSTON 

JAMES    R.  OSGOOD    AND    COMPANY 
1884 


Copyright,  1883, 
BY  MADELEINE  VINTON  DAHLGREN. 

All  rights  reserved. 


SECOND   EDITION. 


PRINTED  BY  JOHN  WILSON   AND  SON, 
UNIVERSITY   PRESS. 


PREFACE. 


E  title  of  "A  WASHINGTON  WINTER"  desig- 
nates that  which  this  narrative  attempts  to 
depict.  It  would  be  impossible  to  hold  to  view  in 
one  volume  of  small  size  the  various  kaleidoscopic 
changes  of  a  Washington  season.  The  author  has 
therefore  selected  a  few  of  the  types  that  exist, 
and  grouped  them  into  one  picture. 

Washington  in  its  political  and  social  life  pre- 
sents a  study  of  surpassing  interest,  in  whose  pano- 
ramic scenes  the  poet,  the  novelist,  the  historian, 
and  the  artist  may  alike  find  an  infinite  variety  of 
forms.  In  fact,  each  successive  period  through 
which  this  Capital  of  the  New  World  passes,  offers 
special  phases  of  exceeding  interest ;  and  here  will 
be  found  condensed,  as  it  were,  into  one  burning 
focus,  millions  of  rays,  whose  diverging  light  is 
thence  everywhere  diffused. 

2061852 


4  PREFACE. 

We  have  only  sought  to  describe  some  of  its 
social  elements,  and  give  what  may,  perhaps,  be 
deemed  a  society  novel.  Yet  we  venture  to  hope 
that  the  occasional  pen-and-ink  portraits  of  public 
men  we  have  drawn  may  have  a  certain  historical 
value. 

Washington  has  rich  material  for  the  writing  of 
"Memoirs,"  and  whoever  shall  collect  its  storied 
treasures  will  find  subjects  as  racy  as  any  ever 
portrayed  by  Mme.  de  R^musat  and  the  Duchesse 
D'Abrantes,  or  that  filled  the  diaries  of  Evelyn 
and  Pepys. 

Our  aim  in  this  book,  however,  has  been  to 
give  types  which  are  often  found  in  Washington 
life;  for,  in  one  word,  Washington  represents  the 
nation. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY 7 

II.   MORNING  RECEPTIONS 24 

III.  THE     HONORABLE     SILVESTER     SPANGLER, 

UNITED   STATES   SENATE 46 

IV.  THE  HOUSE  THAT  SILVESTER  SPANGLER  BUILT  63 

V.  MME.  DE   BEAULIEU    HAS  A   CLAIM   BEFORE 

CONGRESS  —  THE     HONORABLE    PHINEAS 

IGNOTUS,  H.  R.    .     .     : :  78 

VI.  MME.  FLORENCE  PERCY  DE  BEAULIEU  PRE- 

SENTS HER  CLAIM  BEFORE  CONGRESS     .     .  91 

VII.  THE  HOUSE-WARMING  OF  SENATOR  SPANGLER  in 

VIII.  THE  CHEVALIER  PASQUALE  BENEDETTO    .     .  143 

IX.   A  VISIT  TO  THE  CAPITOL 158 

X.   THE  LOBBYIST — THE  OFFICE-SEEKER  —  MRS. 

ADELINE  WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE  ...  170 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI.  SENATOR  SILVESTER  SPANGLER  —  THE 
CHEVALIER  PASQUALE  BENEDETTO  —  MME. 
DE  BEAULIEU  —  MRS.  SILVESTER  SPANGLER 

GIVES  A  LUNCHEON 190 

XII.   PRINCE  NIKOLAUS   SKYBELOFF  AND  BARON 

SKEROWSKI  —  AMABEL  WILTON     ....    212 
XIII.  VARIOUS     EVENTS     IN    CONCLUSION    OF    A 

WASHINGTON  WINTER  —  FINIS 228 


A  WASHINGTON  WINTER. 


CHAPTER    I. 

NEW   YEAR'S   DAY. 

"But  to  know  that  which  lies  before  us  in  daily  life,  is  the 
prime  wisdom."  —  MILTON. 

HPHE  ancient,  but  commodious  homestead  was 
all  aglow  with  light,  and  an  indefinable  cheery 
air  of  welcome  pervaded  it  like  an  atmosphere. 

What  was  it  that  was  so  manifest,  and  yet  defied 
definition,  within  these  antiquated  walls? 

Was  it  not,  in  part  at  least,  that  the  record  of  its 
former  hospitalities  gave  it  that  charm  of  associa- 
tion which  no  new  home  may  claim,  while  the  un- 
broken links  of  its  history  were  held  intact  by  the 
representatives  of  the  same  respected  family  who 
still  lived  there  ? 

The  men  of  the  race,  who  had  done  good  service 
for  the  Republic,  were  no  more ;  and  the  group  of 
three  charming  women,  in  the  spacious  salon,  alone 


8  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

remained  to  unite  the  past  of  the  old-fashioned  home 
with  the  present. 

Mrs.  Adeline  Wilton  was  now  left  a  widow; 
but  as  the  daughter  of  a  military  man  of  distinc- 
tion, and  the  wife  of  an  eminent  statesman,  she 
had  for  a  number  of  years  been  identified  with 
Washington  society,  and  so  closely  seen  the  revo- 
lution of  its  wheels  within  wheels,  that  the  kaleido- 
scopic changes  of  its  restless  winter  life  were  quietly 
scanned  by  her  with  clear  comprehension  of  the 
real  meaning. 

The  impress  of  these  well-learned  lessons  was 
stamped  upon  her  in  a  repose  of  manner  that  was 
more  attractive  than  any  brilliancy. 

She  was  never  frigid,  for  she  felt  no  need  of  being 
guarded  ;  never  excited,  for  there  was  nothing  new 
to  produce  excitement ;  not  impassioned,  for  she 
had  seen  life's  drama  at  its  best;  nor  yet  unim- 
passioned,  for  her  heart  was  not  cold  or  dead. 
She  was  absolutely  calm,  because  she  knew  her 
surroundings. 

Washington  was  no  terra  incognita  for  her.  Here 
she  was  at  home.  The  agitated  elements  that  com- 
pose the  social  world  felt  the  masterful  force  of  her 
trained  perceptions ;  and,  as  a  sort  of  paradoxical 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  9 

result  of  her  very  indifference  to  such  recognition, 
she  grew  to  be  acknowledged  as  a  social  leader. 

Of  an  only  child,  Amabel,  and  an  orphan  niece, 
Stella  Stevens,  we  shall  learn  much  as  our  story 
progresses. 

These  fair  girls  were  debutantes,  and  were  first 
formally  presented  to  society  at  the  morning  recep- 
tion Mrs.  Wilton  had  held  on  that  very  New  Year's 
Day. 

'  The  three  ladies  awaited  the  arrival  of  guests 
invited  to  dinner  at  eight  o'clock. 

"  I  have  made  our  dinner  an  hour  later,  my  child- 
ren, than  is  our  custom,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  because 
of  the  exacting  social  demands  on  New  Year's  Day. 
I  am  quite  sure  that  the  men  whom  we  expect  will 
require  the  entire  day  to  fill  out  their  long  visiting- 
list  ;  perhaps,  indeed,  they  will  find  it  no  easy  mat- 
ter to  reach  us  precisely  at  eight." 

"Then  why,  mamma,"  asked  Amabel,  "did  you 
select  New  Year's  Day  at  all,  upon  which  to  dine 
your  friends  ?  I  must  myself  confess  to  some. weari- 
ness, at  the  close  of  so  large  and  continuous  a  recep- 
tion as  you  have  held  to-day." 

"  Yes,"  exclaimed  Stella,  "  it  has  been  something 
quite  fearful  to  endure  the  strain  of  six  heavy  hours, 


10  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

during  which  we  have  heard  an  insipid  repetition 
of  the  same  phrases.  I  am  sure  Amy  must  be  very 
tired,  for  that  Cossack  Prince  evidently  has  not 
been  informed  that  a  New  Year's  call  should  not  ex- 
ceed five  minutes.  He  was  very  unconventional, 
cousin  mine,  for  he  engrossed  you  during  a  full  hour. 
Ha !  ha !  It  was  droll  to  see  his  Minister,  who 
brought  him  here,  looking  so  vexed,  and  yet  forced 
to  stay,  as  the  Prince  was  deaf  to  all  hints." 

"  It  is  true,  Stella,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton.  "  I  noticed 
the  embarrassment  of  Baron  Skerowski,  who  of 
course  wished  to  complete  his  list  of  visits;  and  I 
thought  to  induce  the  Prince  to  shorten  his  call  by 
asking  both  gentlemen  to  return  and  dine  with  us, 
sans  J "agon,  this  evening." 

"  O  mamma ! "  said  Amabel,  slightly  blushing. 

"The  Baron,"  continued  Mrs.  Wilton,  without 
seeming  to  be  aware  of  the  interruption,  "  pleaded 
an  engagement  for  both  the  Prince  and  himself,  but 
this  wilful  young  gentleman  at  once  assured  the 
Minister  that  he  was  mistaken  in  this  regard, 
adding  that  it  gave  him  much  pleasure  to  accept, 
and " 

At  this  moment  the  usher  quietly  announced 
"  Prince  Nikolaus  Skybeloff." 


NEW   YEAR'S  DAY.  II 

The  young  nobleman  was  a  handsome  boy  of 
perhaps  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  had  scarcely 
time  to  express  his  pleasure  upon  being  the  first 
arrival,  when  the  other  invited  friends  entered  in 
rapid  succession :  Mr.  Senator  Richard  Roland  ; 
Mr.  Clarence  Meredith,  the  author ;  Mr.  Charles 
Clysmic,  the  journalist ;  Commodore  Leonidas  Re- 
flex, a  retired  navy  officer;  and  M.  le  Vicomte  De 
La  Tour,  first  secretary  of  the  French  Legation. 

The  household  arrangements  of  Mrs.  Wilton  were 
too  carefully  appointed  for  any  awkward  interval  of 
time  to  elapse  between  the  entrance  of  the  last 
guest  and  the  announcement  that  dinner  was 
served. 

The  Senator  gave  his  arm  to  the  hostess,  M.  le 
Vicomte  to  Stella,  and  Prince  Nikolaus  was  grati- 
fied to  lead  in  Amabel. 

The  Commodore,  as  a  friend  and  habituf  of  the 
house,  was  assigned  his  usual  place  at  the  left  of 
Mrs.  Wilton  ;  Mr.  Meredith  was  seated  beside  Ama- 
bel, and  Mr.  Clysmic  divided  Stella's  attention  with 
M.  De  La  Tour. 

The  faultless  taste  of  Mrs.  Wilton  had  produced 
a  charming  effect,  and  the  best  proof  of  success  was, 
that  no  attempt  at  display  could  be  detected. 


12  A   WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

The  soft  radiance  of  wax  candles  flooded  the  room 
with  a  mellow  light,  which  was  undimmed  by  glare 
of  gas,  or  the  intermingling  of  dismal  red,  blue,  or 
green  rays. 

The  table  was  garlanded  by  opening  rosebuds, 
wherein  blossomed  the  words  "  Hail,  happy  New 
Year ! "  and  the  initial  letters  of  each  guest 
marked  the  respective  covers,  banked  in  fragrant 
violets. 

The  prismatic  glow  of  crystal,  the  glitter  of  silver, 
and  the  artistic  forms  and  tracery  of  rare  china, 
completed  the  beauty  of  the  picture. 

"  Your  oval  table,  my  dear  madam,"  said  the 
Senator,  "  like  the  egg  of  Columbus,  illustrates  the 
problem  of  the  discovery  of  new  possibilities. 
The  pleasing  coup  cTceil  would  seem  to  have  been 
readily  produced,  and  yet  it  required  your  genius 
to  effect  the  alluring  result." 

"  I  have  sought,  Mr.  Senator,"  replied  Mrs. 
Wilton,  "  to  borrow  a  thought  from  Olympus,  and 
have,  in  deference  to  the  Muses,  made  our  numbers 
and  our  courses  nine." 

"Most  excellent,"  exclaimed  the  Commodore, 
"  and  perfectly  well  said,  fair  lady ;  nine  guests, 
nine  courses,  is  the  correct  dinner  rule.  After  I 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  13 

shall  have  sailed  around  the  world  nine  times  with 
the  king  of  wines,  and  added  to  my  royal  Madeira, 
five  other  spiritualized  essences  as  its  complement, 
your  feast  will  be  Olympian." 

"  But  here  it  all  is  foreshadowed,"  added  the  bon 
vivant,  looking  over  his  six  glasses  with  the  careful 
precision  of  a  miser  counting  his  gold. 

"  And  yet,"  said  the  thoughtful  Meredith,  "  the 
richest  wine  pales  in  the  glow  of  the  soul's  fire, 
where  the  sparkle  of  conversation  exceeds  all  merely 
material  pleasure.  This  is  the  culmination  of  our 
boasted  civilization." 

"  Conversation,"  sneered  the  cynic  Clysmic,  "  is 
said  to  be  the  lost  art." 

"  Lost  in  the  Old  World,  perchance,"  sighed  the 
Prince ;  "  it  would  seem  to  exist,  with  other  sought- 
for  treasures,  in  the  New." 

"  Yet  direct  methods  can  never  equal  the  spirit- 
uelle  nuances  of  Parisian  bon  mots,"  intimated  M. 
le  Vicomte. 

"  But  indirection  is  to  be  avoided,"  said  Amabel. 

"  Not,  mademoiselle,  if  wit  must  as  a  conse- 
quence suffer,"  urged  the  Frenchman. 

"But  my  cousin  is  right,"  pleaded  Stella,  "for 
wit  and  humor  are  alike  most  pleasing  when  they 


14  A    WASHINGTON    WINTER. 

are  good-natured  and  frank,  —  are  they  not,  mon- 
sieur ? " 

"  Wit,"  said  M.  De  La  Tour,  "  resembles  Madem- 
oiselle, —  inasmuch  as  she  is  a  deity  beyond  rules, 
and,  as  such,  to  be  worshipped,  right  or  wrong." 

"Oh,  M.  De  La  Tour,"  laughed  Mrs.  Wilton, 
"  this  is  a  violation  of  our  first  rule,  —  you  are  be- 
coming personal." 

"  Consider  the  provocation,  madame,"  urged  the 
Vicomte,  glancing  admiringly  at  Stella. 

"  Forgiven,  with  a  penance  attached,"  said  Mrs. 
Wilton.  "  Tell  us  of  your  calls  to-day." 

"  Penance,  madame,  is  a  hard  word  for  an  old 
sinner,  but  to  do  your  bidding  is  a  pleasure.  I  am 
sure  that  France  may  never  grasp  one.  single  Re- 
publican idea,  until  she  has  seen  an  American 
Presidential  New  Year's  reception  ;  and  when  she 
has  assisted  at  such  a  spectacle,  she  will  unite  in  a 
litany  of  '  Good  Lord,  deliver  us.'  After  the  corps 
diplomatique  had  lunched  with  the  Secretary  of 
State,  being  en  grande  tenue,  I  went  home,  and  — 
well,  staid  at  home  ;  and  —  me  voila  !  " 

This  rather  unexpected  ending  caused  a  sub- 
dued ripple  of  laughter,  and  Mrs.  Wilton  appealed 
to  the  Senator  to  give  some  account  of  the  day. 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAT.  15 

"  It  has  been  a  blessed  day  for  me,  madam,  for 
the  outside  world  being  all  agog,  I  was  left  alone, 
and  thus  enabled  to  bring  up  my  correspondence, 
which  was  sadly  in  arrears,  and  to  arrange  my 
ideas  and  make  some  notes  on  a  subject  of  im- 
portance, which  must  soon  claim  the  attention  of 
the  Senate." 

"  And  we  ladies,  Mr.  Senator,  will  most  certainly 
come  and  hear  your  speech ;  that  is,  if  you  will 
honor  us  with  an  invitation,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Wilton. 

"  I  offer  myself  as  your  escort,  madam,"  inter- 
posed the  Commodore. 

"  My  dear  madam,  I  am  quite  ashamed  to  have 
given  so  stupid  an  account  of  myself,"  said  the 
Senator,  "  and  I  shall  be  tempted  to  make  a  speech 
to  the  galleries,  doubtless,  when  they  have  such  oc- 
cupants ;  but  the  Commodore  has,  I  am  sure,  had  a 
breezy  day." 

"  You  are  not  mistaken,  Mr.  Senator,  for  I  have 
made  ten  knots  an  hour  steadily  all  the  while,  and 
tacked  about  against  the  wind  beside.  After  the 
official  visits  to  the  President  and  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  I  got  rid  of  the  harness,  that  made  me 
feel  like  an  old  war-horse  ;  for  you  must  know  it  is 


1 6  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

the  middies,  and  not  the  seniors,  that  glory  in 
brass  buttons.  I  lost  no  time,  but  paid  my  re- 
spects to  the  old  Washington  homes  —  God  bless 
'em !  One  fair  dame  gave  us  egg-nog,  more 
creamy  and  alluring  than  any  nectar.  Another 
offered  genuine,  racy,  cherry-bounce ;  no  liqueur 
like  it,  when  the  old-time  recipe  is  adhered  to. 
Another  ladled  out  Roman  Punch ;  oh,  the  delicate 
combination  of  cognac,  lemon,  and  effervescing 
champagne,  with  just  the  merest  soupgon  of  other 
flavors.  And  then  at  still  another  house,  how 
grateful  the  aroma  of  the  distilled  essence  of  caft 
noir.  Nor  did  we,  thus  fortified,  overlook  the  ap- 
petizing cold  dishes,  —  the  boned  turkey,  pdte-de- 
foie-gras,  aspics-truffles,  and  angel-bread." 

"  A  truce,  a  truce,  valiant  Commodore,"  broke  in 
Mr.  Meredith,  no  longer  able  to  endure  the  length- 
ened description  of  these  gastronomical  pleasures  ; 
"  I,  too,  visited  these  old  homes,  and  came  away 
with  inebriated  ideas  of  their  delights,  —  never  hav- 
ing even  glanced  at  their  refreshment  tables,  so 
charmed  was  I  with  the  exceeding  grace  and 
courtesy,  and  hospitable  welcome,  of  the  refined 
and  cultivated  women  who  received  us." 

"  While  I,"  growled  Clysmic,  "  like  a  true  jour- 


NEW   YEAR'S   DAY.  IJ 

nalist,  have  taken  a  wider  and  more  comprehensive 
view  of  the  day,  than  all  the  other  professions  com- 
bined. Of  course  I  am  ready  to  write  ten  columns 
of  incidents  any  moment,  to  all  of  which  I  was  an 
eye-witness.  At  the  White  House,  for  such  the 
people  will  call  it,  I  stood  a  step  or  so  back  of  the 
President's  wife.  At  first  her  gloves  were  immac- 
ulate white;  at  the  end  of  a  half-hour  of  hand- 
shaking, they  were  sooty  black.  The  President 
grew  somewhat  wilted ;  but  I  noticed  that  he  did 
not  suffer  so  much  from  the  dislocating  process  as 
his  wife,  whom  I  really  pitied.  Presently  I  sus- 
pected that  our  chief  magistrate  was  guilty  of  a 
ruse,  and  —  knowing  him  to  be  an  accomplished 
politician,  and  not  being  quite  sure  that  I  may 
not  be  wanted  some  day,  when  the  wheel  of  for- 
tune turns,  as  President  myself  —  I  concentrated 
my  wits  to  see  how  it  was  done.  The  secret  was 
worth  knowing,  and  is  a  trick  worthy  of  Heller, 
when  once  learned.  But  then,  if  our  President  is 
not  given  to  legerdemain,  how  could  he  weather  all 
attacks  ?  Well  he  did  this  :  he  kept  a  sharp  look- 
out, and  when  any  especially  big  Buckeye,  Corn- 
dodger, or  Hoosier  was  about  to  grip  him,  he  made 
a  concentric  flourish  in  the  air  with  his  hand, 
2 


1 8  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

bringing  it  slap  down  on  the  back  of  the  paw  of 
the  advancing  patriot ;  and  having  disposed  of  him 
with  electrifying  effect,  he  was  fresh  and  ready 
to  give  the  next  man  his  due.  In  other  words, 
like  a  true  leader,  he  took  the  initiative,  and,  claw- 
ing everybody  that  looked  dangerous,  never  allowed 
anybody  to  claw  him.  I  venture  to  say  that  his 
excellency  is  fresh  for  any  number  of  receptions, 
whereat  the  'dear  sovereign  people,'  will  be  en- 
chanted to  find  how  glad  he  is  to  see  them." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha,"  laughed  every  one  in  chorus,  "  it 's 
capital." 

"  Mais,  qu'est-ce  que  c  'est  ?  "  interrogated  the 
Vicomte,  forgetting  his  English  in  his  astonish- 
ment. 

"  A  lesson  for  a  diplomat "  answered  Mrs.  Wil- 
ton. 

"  A  lesson  for  us  all,"  laughed  the  Senator. 

"  Pray  go  on,  Mr.  Clysmic." 

"Presently,"  resumed  that  gentleman,  "being 
somewhat  fatigued  with  the  monotony  of  this 
spread-eagle  performance,  and  realizing  that  I  was 
stifled  with  mephitic  air,  and  my  cranium  baked 
with  the  heat  of  a  hundred  gas-jets  blazing  away 
over  my  head,  I  determined  to  make  my  exit  if 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  19 

possible.  This  determination  led  me  to  a  careful 
survey  of  the  crowd  that  wildly  surged  through  that 
narrow  outlet  by  which  favored  mortals  must  pass 
before  our  President,  on  these  occasions.  The  door 
of  entrance  was  not  kept  entirely  clear,  for  a  file 
of  persistent  lookers-on  had  stationed  themselves 
within  the  narrow  doorway.  As  each  person  reached 
this  guarded  Thermopylae,  there  came  one  supreme 
moment  of  indescribable  squeezing,  —  a  struggle, 
a  wriggle,  —  and  at  the  same  instant  they  were 
seized  by  the  President,  and  thus  speedily  shot  by. 

"  I  suspect  it  to  be  all  a  part  of  the  same  tactics. 
At  times  there  were  women  who  seemed  to  collapse ; 
and  presently  one  delicate-looking  little  lady  fainted, 
just  as  she  was  hurried  past  the  President.  This 
was  my  opportunity,  for  I  readily  gained  the  nearest 
window  back  of  the  President ;  and  calling  to  a 
policeman  who  stood  guard  without,  he  speedily 
placed  a  long  plank  from  the  open  window  to  the 
ground  below.  There  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost, 
for  an  American  crowd  is  equal  to  any  situation.  I 
just  had  time  to  help  the  pallid  syncopist  into  the 
care  of  the  policeman,  and  bound  over  the  tempo- 
rary bridge  myself,  when  on  came  the  crush.  The 
last  I  heard  was  the  cracking  of  timber,  and  the 


20  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

grand  break- through -of  the  wife  of  a  western  mem- 
ber, who  was  said  to  be  fair,  fat,  and  three  hundred 
and  forty.  During  all  this  excruciating  hour,  thirty- 
five  brass  instruments  of  the  Marine  Band  were 
wildly  tooting  with  furious  blasts,  '  Skrueball ' 
and  '  The  girl  I  left  behind  me.'  " 

"And  then  ?"  asked  the  hostess. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Wilton,  spare  a  modest  man  a 
monopoly  of  dinner-table  talk.  My  story  of  New 
Year's  Day  in  Washington  might  readily  consume 
another  hour ;  I  must  save  you  the  infliction.  We 
have  all  given  in  our  '  experience,'  as  the  Methodists 
say,  except  the  Prince." 

This  young  gentleman  had  been  greatly  amused 
at  the  caustic  description  of  Mr.  Clysmic,  and  won- 
dering much  what  the  effect  would  be  in  St.  Peters- 
burgh  of  similar  open  strictures  on  any  Court  held 
by  the  Czar ;  he  was,  however,  taking  unawares  his 
first  lesson  in  Republicanism. 

Upon  being  thus  directly  addressed,  Prince  Niko- 
laus  merely  said :  "  This,  Mr.  Clysmic,  is  the  first 
New  Year's  Day  I  have  spent  in  this  capital  of  your 
wonderful  nation  ;  and  my  impressions,  profound 
as  they  are "  ( here  he  unconsciously  glanced  at 
Amabel),  "as  yet  defy  analysis.  I  would  find  it 
quite  impossible  to  formulate  them." 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  21 

The  servants  were  presenting,  in  glasses  of  infin- 
itessimal  size,  a  choice  Madeira  that  had  been  laid 
away,  encased  by  filmy  cobwebs,  for  over  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  Mrs.  Wilton  was  about  to  rise. 

"I  intended,"  she  remarked,  "that  my  dinner 
should  not  exceed  two  hours  in  the  serving.  I  trust 
that  limit  of  time  has  not  overtaxed  your  sense  of 
enjoyment." 

"  The  arrangement,"  replied  the  Commodore,  "has 
been  perfect  —  as  to  time,  quantity,  and  quality. 
Gastronomy  is  a  science,  and  should  be  applied  with 
the  exactitude  of  mathematics.  Our  nouveaux  riches 
are  too  ignorant  to  know  this  solemn  fact.  They 
fancy  that  a  liberal  use  of  money,  and  carte  blanche 
to  a  caterer,  are  all  that  is  needed  in  order  to  give 
a  splendid  dinner.  That  most  important  matter, 
the  choice  of  a  menu,  is  thus  committed  to  a  mer- 
cenary judge,  and  the  result  is  an  incongruous  and 
interminable  number  of  dishes.  The  wines  are  ill- 
chosen,  and  have  headache  in  them.  Then,  again, 
there  is  the  heresy,  among  some  good  people  of  ten- 
der conscience,  of  giving  French  dinners  without 
wines.  These  feasts  endanger  one's  life,  for  forced 
meats  require  the  stimulus  of  their  appropriate 
wines  in  order  to  digest  them.  Gastronomy,  as  I 


22  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

have  said,  is  a  science  but  little  understood,  and  its 
laws  have  their  raison  d'etre" 

"Bravo!  bravissirao!"  encored  the  five  gentle- 
men, who  had  given  assent  all  the  way  through,  in 
an  amused  way.  "  Long  live  the  Commodore,  and 
the  lost  science  of  gastronomy ! " 

Mrs.  Wilton  led  the  way  to  the  library,  where 
coffee,  liqueurs,  and  —  later  on  —  tea  were  served. 

Amabel's  harp  and  Stella's  piano  were  not  taxed 
for  "concord  of  sweet  sounds,"  for  on  that  first 
evening  of  the  new  year,  conversation  held  supreme 
sway.  Mr.  Meredith  said  he  would  bring  Amabel 
the  beautiful  poems  of  Aubrey  de  Vere,  and  some 
of  the  last  songs  of  the  gifted  Carey  Sisters ;  and 
Prince  Nikolaus  asked  permission  of  Mrs.  Wilton 
to  call  the  next  morning  at  two  o'clock.  M.  De  La 
Tour  proposed  to  supply  Stella  with  the  last  French 
novel.  The  Commodore  imparted  to  Mrs.  Wilton, 
in  confidence,  that  there  was  an  Italian  in  town 
who  made  toothsome  caramels,  fresh  every  day,  and 
equal  to  the  best  he  had  seen  abroad.  The  Sena- 
tor said  he  intended  to  take  the  time  to  attend 
Mrs.  Wilton's  Saturday  evening  conversazione.  Mr. 
Clysmic  alone  had  no  hopes,  and  made  no  promises, 
for  a  future  beyond  his  control ;  for  how  can  a  jour- 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  23 

nalist  ever  know  when  he  may  command  an  hour  of 
time  ?  The  world  is  relentless  in  its  feverish  prog- 
ress, and  the  Press  is  the  huge  motor  that  drives 
the  world. 


CHAPTER    II. 

MORNING    RECEPTIONS. 

A  S  a  matter  of  fact  there  was  no  special  break- 
*^^  fast-hour  at  Mrs.  Wilton's  home.  That  lady 
thought  it  unwise  to  make  of  her  house  a  bed  of  Pro- 
crustes, and  compel  every  member  of  the  family  to 
adopt  a  definite  regulation. 

To  require  a  common  rule  for  the  young,  the 
old,  the  vigorous,  the  feeble  ;  for  those  who  revel 
in  an  unbroken,  dreamless  sleep,  and  for  the  ner- 
vous temperament  or  tired  brain,  to  whom  balmy 
rest  never  comes  as  a  restorer ;  to  say  to  her  little 
world,  positively :  "  I  expect  every  one  to  rise  when 
the  servant  calls  at  seven,  and  to  breakfast  at 
eight ; "  or, "  You" will  have  coffee  at  eight  and  break- 
fast at  ten," —  such  tyranny  was  alien  to  her  carefully 
considered  plan  of  a  comfortable  existence. 

She  regarded  the  breakfast  as,  at  best,  an  in- 
formal repast,  to  be  ordered  whenever  desired.  It 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  25 

should  mean  just  what  each  individual  taste  re- 
quires, —  no  more,  no  less. 

Ordinarily  the  friends  of  Mrs.  Wilton,  who  visited 
her  in  town  or  at  her  country-seat,  were  well 
pleased  at  an  arrangement  which  permitted  so 
much  unrestricted  ease. 

Once,  however,  a  dogmatic  friend,  who  was  a 
precise  disciplinarian,  remonstrated  against  what 
she  was  pleased  to  call  "  a  very  slip-shod  state  of 
things,"  and  vauntingly  compared  the  exactitude 
of  her  own  manage.  She  said  to  her  hostess :  "  No 
one  dares  to  be  late  at  my  house  ;  I  will  not  tolerate 
laziness.  My  breakfast-hour  is  seven,  and  even 
the  General  may  go  without  his  breakfast  if  he  is 
not  punctual." 

"  And  your  guests  ? "  timidly  suggested  Mrs. 
Wilton. 

"  I  have  made  a  rule  as  I  told  you,  Mrs.  Wilton, 
and  I  allow  no  exceptions.  Seven  is  my  breakfast- 
hour,  —  at  seven,  sharp." 

"  Laboring-men,"  replied  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  do  bet- 
ter than  this.  They  breakfast  at  six.  Many 
farmers'  wives  get  up  at  four,  and  give  the  farm- 
hands and  men  of  the  family  their  first  meal  at  five  ; 
dinner  follows  at  eleven,  and  a  substantial  supper 


26  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

at  four.  These  hard-working  people  are  sound 
asleep  by  eight  in  the  evening.  These  are  the 
hours  for  many  thousands  of  people,  all  over  the 
country.  As  connected  with  a  life  of  daily  toil, 
it  is  found  to  suit  physical  needs;  but  it  cannot 
be  the  rule  where  the  brain  acts  as  a  factor." 

However,  on  this  particular  occasion  the  three 
ladies  breakfasted  together  at  ten  o'clock.  The 
morning  paper  was  scarcely  glanced  at,  although 
their  friend  Mr.  Clysmic,  the  editor,  condensed  in 
it  the  world's  movement  of  the  past  day. 

Amabel  and  Stella  wished  to  know  what  was  to 
be  the  programme  for  their  first  round  of  ceremo- 
nial visits. 

"  I  cannot  but  pity  you,  my  children,"  said  Mrs. 
Wilton.  "  Yesterday  you  entered  the  treadmill  To- 
day you  must  go  the  rounds.  The  world  is  a  hard 
taskmaster.  No  respite  is  granted." 

"It  will  not  be  so  bad  as  that  forever  and  a 
day,  mamma,"  said  Amabel.  "  You  forget  our  dear 
country  home,  and  the  charming  freedom  of  rural 
life  there." 

"  You  recall,  Amy,"  said  her  mother,  "  a  pleasing 
picture  of  a  beautiful  sorrel  horse,  spirited  and  fleet, 
and  a  little  girl  I  wot  of,  firmly  seated  on  his  bare 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  27 

back,  with  glowing  cheeks  and  bright  eyes,  —  seem- 
ing rather  to  float  onward  than  ride  the  noble 
courser,  so  happy  and  so  free  was  she  ! " 

"  Let  us  not  think  of  it  now,  mamma,"  sighed 
Amabel.  "  I  might,  upon  slight  provocation,  fly  to 
the  mountains  and  my  Lucillus.  I  can  hear  him, 
now,  whinny  for  another  lump  of  sugar,  and  paw 
with  his  fore-feet.  I  can  see  him  arch  his  flexed 
neck,  champ  the  silver  bit,  curvet  and  rear  erect 
—  then  in  mad  frolic  break  into  a  glorious  run  !  " 

"  Halt,  Amy ! "  cried  Stella.  "  If  you  run  on  in 
this  way  in  society,  they  will  think  you  are  crazy. 
For  my  part,  I  am  ready  to  vote  the  country  a  bore, 
and  to  dote  upon  Washington  life.  It  will  all  be 
such  a  change  for  us,  from  the  country  home  in 
summer  and  the  convent  school  in  winter.  Only 
seven  weeks  before  Lent !  I  long  to  begin." 

"  Stella  is  doubtless  right,  and  I  trust  you  will 
both  be  highly  amused.  It  will  be  quite  a  dazzling 
change  from  the  even  tenor  of  your  convent  lives, 
and  you  cannot  escape  the  pleasure  of  new  sensa- 
tions and  emotions.  Let  us  thank  God  that  Provi- 
dence, and  not  Destiny,  guides  the  helm  of  your 
voyage  of  life.  It  cannot  rest  with  fate,  but  must 
depend  upon  yourselves,  my  darlings,  if  you  draw 
prizes  or  blanks." 


28  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"  It  is  not  in  the  heart  or  head  of  a  young  girl  to 
moralize,"  said  Amabel,  "  but  we  will  try,  mamma, 
to  be  true  to  whatever  we  know  to  be  right." 

"  Cousin  Amy,"  said  Stella,  "  you  may  pray  your- 
self asleep,  and  my  good  aunt  may  know,  because 
she  does  know,  about  the  vanity  of  the  world  ;  but 
I  intend,  for  this  one  winter,  to  watch  the  bubbles 
float  in  air,  and  clap  my  hands,  as  we  used  to  do  in 
the  nursery,  when  they  burst." 

"  It  would  be  an  excellent  plan,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton, 
"  if  you  would  consent  this  winter  to  give  one  hour 
each  morning  to  reading,  and  devote  another  hour 
to  music.  There  would  be  ample  time  before  visiting- 
hours  each  day.  If  you  give  all  of  your  time  to  soci- 
ety, you  will  find  yourselves  exhausted.  We  shall 
receive  on  Friday  from  three  until  six,  for  on  this 
day  most  of  the  old  families  of  Washington  receive 
their  friends.  Each  Saturday  evening  I  propose  to 
hold  a  conversazione. 

"  Monday  is  the  reception-day  of  the  wives  of  the 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Tuesday  is  a  day 
selected  by  many  in  society  to  receive.  Wednes- 
day is  Cabinet  Day.  Thursday  is  Senators'  Day. 
This  ceaseless  round  of  ceremonious  visiting  grows 
very  tiresome,  You  will  find  it  so,  when  the  gla- 
mour of  novelty  wears  off." 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  29 

"  I  know  I  shall  enjoy  it  immensely,"  interrupted 
Stella.  "  What  is  to  be  done  to-day,  aunt  ?  " 

Mrs.  Wilton  replied :  "  This  is  Wednesday,  Stella, 
and  I  shall  order  the  carriage  at  three,  for  Cabinet 
visits.  At  two  o'clock  Prince  Nikolaus  will  call." 

"  O  mamma,"  said  Amabel. 

"  O  mamma  was  precisely  what  you  said  yes- 
terday Amy,"  Stella  teasingly  suggested,  "  when 
this  handsome  youngster  was  spoken  of;  he  is,  to 
say  the  least,  very  friendly,  ma  belle" 

Mrs.  Wilton  looked  a  trifle  annoyed,  but  rose 
saying :  "  Please  be  ready,  young  ladies,  to  receive 
Prince  Nikolaus  with  me,  when  he  calls.  Mean- 
time, you  have  three  hours  all  your  own.  We  shall 
dine  at  home,  and  at  ten  this  evening  we  attend 
the  reception  of  Senator  and  Mrs.  Spangler." 

The  Prince  sent  up  his  card  at  two  precisely  — 
perhaps  it  was  ten  minutes  earlier  —  to  Mrs.  Wil- 
ton. He  was  too  well-bred  to  ask  for  the  young 
ladies,  nor  would  Mrs.  Wilton  have  tolerated  any 
visitor  who  ignored  herself. 

There  exists  an  impression,  especially  among 
foreigners,  that  it  is  considered  good  form,  in  the 
best  American  society,  for  a  young  lady  to  receive 
calls  alone  from  gentlemen,  to  promenade  the 


30  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

streets  with  the  men  of  their  acquaintance,  or  to 
ride  or  drive  alone  with  them  ;  but  this  opinion 
does  great  injustice  to  the  highly  cultivated  and 
very  respectable  families  who  represent  the  really 
good  society  of  the  country.  This  mistaken  idea 
has  in  part  arisen  from  the  peculiar  conditions 
that  grow  out  of  the  unprecedented  rapidity  with 
which  large  fortunes  are  accumulated  amongst  us, 
and  the  absurdities  indulged  in  by  so  many  igno- 
rant people  grown  suddenly  rich. 

If  the  untrained  and  partially  uneducated  society- 
people,  who  permit  so  great  freedom  of  manners  to 
exist,  could  understand  the  unfavorable  impressions 
produced  upon  foreigners  of  distinction  who  visit 
us,  or  observe  our  manners  abroad,  they  would  be 
more  guarded.  It  is  sometimes  stupidly  asserted 
that  it  implies  a  want  of  confidence  in  the  discre- 
tion of  our  daughters,  to  hedge  them  round  with 
careful  restraint. 

Mrs.  Wilton's  perceptions  were  too  refined  to 
make  such  a  blunder.  She  understood  that  it  was 
but  an  affair  of  ordinary  courtesy  that  she  should 
be  recognized  as  presiding  over  her  own  household, 
and  the  instinctive  delicacy  of  sentiment  of  Ama- 
bel and  Stella  made  them  desire  the  protection  of 
her  experience. 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  31 

Nor  was  it  to  be  supposed  for  a  moment  that 
any  espionage  was  intended  ;  for  no  gentlemen 
were  received,  as  among  their  visiting  acquaintance, 
who  did  not  possess  a  well-defined  social  position. 

It  so  happened  that  the  conversation  turned 
upon  that  very  subject  during  the  visit  of  the 
Prince  this  morning ;  for  he  complained  to  Mrs. 
Wilton  of  the  bad  treatment  he  had  received  when 
in  New  York,  at  a  Fifth  Avenue  mansion. 

"  You  surprise  me,  Prince  Nikolaus,"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Wilton.  "  We  are  often  quite  ashamed  at 
the  empressement  with  which  titled  foreigners  are 
indiscriminately  feted  in  New  York.  If  not  indis- 
creet, I  would  like  to  know  what  occurred  to  dis- 
please you  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  mystery  concealed  in  the  circum- 
stance, madame,  although  I  confess  to  a  renewal  of 
indignant  feeling  when  I  think  of  the  slight  that 
was  put  upon  me.  It  happened  in  this  way.  I  met 
—  at  the  dinner-table  of  one  of  your  merchant-mil- 
lionnaires,  to  whom  I  had  sent  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction from  my  relative,  Prince  Gortschakoff  —  a 
very  beautiful  young  lady."  Here,  the  Prince  un- 
consciously bowed  slightly  to  Amabel.  "  I  was 
assigned  to  lead  her  in  to  dinner,  and  she  invited 


32  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

me  in  an  earnest  manner,  but  somewhat  to  my 
surprise,  to  call  upon  her,  giving  me  her  address. 
She  particularly  requested  an  evening  visit.  I 
thanked  her  for  being  so  obliging,  and  at  the 
same  time  I  felt  puzzled.  How  can  I  visit  at  the 
house  of  this  lady,  I  said  to  myself,  uninvited  by  her 
father  to  do  so,  —  or  without  being  called  upon  by 
him  ?  Then  I  was  tempted,  when  I  thought  how 
pretty,  how  graceful,  how  perfectly  well  dressed 
this  young  lady  was  ;  and  as  is  too  often  the  case 
with  men  of  my  age,  my  feelings  dominated  my 
judgment.  The  next  evening  I  made  the  call. 
When  I  sent  my  card  to  the  demoiselle,  I  real- 
ized how  very  awkward  it  was.  Then  I  reasoned 
with  myself,  that  I  was  ignorant,  after  all,  of  the 
circumstances  that  dictated  the  invitation  extended 
to  me.  Probably  the  father  of  this  young  person  was 
ill,  or  out  of  town ;  and  the  mother  would  of  course 
enter  the  salon  with  her'daughter,  when  any  apparent 
indecorum  would  readily  be  explained.  There  were 
three  superb  drawing-rooms  en  suite,  and  I  was 
ushered  into  the  front  room.  Here  the  charming 
miss  received  me  quite  alone,  and  in  a  very  alluring 
manner.  No  one  was  in  the  middle  salon,  but  in 
the  third  and  most  remote  apartment  of  the  suite 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  33 

sat  a  gentleman  and  lady  of  respectable  appearance, 
whom  I  knew  to  be  the  parents  of  this  young  girl. 
The  gentleman  was  reading  a  newspaper,  the  lady 
occupied  with  some  embroidery.  Would  you  believe 
it,  madame  ?  There  was  not  the  slightest  recog- 
nition made  by  them  of  my  presence,  and  the  daugh- 
ter bestowed  all  her  attention  upon  me,  without 
noticing  that  I  was  not  presented  to  her  mother 
and  her  father.  I  was  much  chagrined  to  find  my- 
self treated  so  rudely ;  and,  not  being  recognized 
by  the  heads  of  the  household,  I  quickly  made  my 
bow  and  departed." 

Mrs.  Wilton  could  scarcely  repress  a  smile ;  but 
observing  the  exceeding  gravity  of  the  Prince's 
countenance,  she  said :  "  These  people  did  not  in- 
tend to  be  rude,  monsieur.  Their  sin  was  one  of 
ignorance.  The  lady  did  not  introduce  you  to  her 
parents,  as  she  should  have  done,  because  they 
belonged  to  the  class  of  parvenus  who  have  not 
yet  been  educated  to  the  level  of  their  material 
surroundings." 

"That  may  be  just  as  you  explain  it,  madame," 
coldly  answered  the  Prince ;  "  it  never  occurred  to 
me  in  that  light ;  but,  not  being  well  treated,  I 
never  returned." 

3 


34  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

At  this  juncture  the  servant  announced  that  the 
carriage  was  at  the  door,  and  the  Prince  at  once 
rose  to  take  his  leave. 

"  We  are  about  to  make  Cabinet  visits,  Prince 
Nikolaus  ;  our  clarence  is  roomy,  and  we  have  a 
vacant  seat.  Will  you  accompany  us  ? "  asked  Mrs. 
Wilton. 

"  Nothing,  madame,  would  give  me  greater  pleas- 
ure," said  that  gentleman,  glancing  at  Amabel. 

During  these  visits  they  found  a  throng  of  people 
everywhere. 

The  wife  of  the  first  Secretary  called  upon,  was 
gorgeously  arrayed  in  a  stunning  dress  of  terra- 
cotta-red brocade,  profusely  furbelowed,  and  trimmed 
with  black  Spanish  lace ;  while  an  extraordinary 
turban  head-dress,  surmounted  by  a  plume  such  as 
he  of  Navarre  wore,  completed  the  costume,  and 
gave  her  a  very  top-lofty  air.  The  day  was  one  of 
that  exceptional  loveliness  so  often  enjoyed  in  a 
Washington  winter  ;  but  the  glorious  sunlight  was 
carefully  excluded  from  this  pretentious  house. 
Every  shutter  was  closed ;  the  heavy  draperies  were 
all  closely  drawn,  so  as  to  shut  out  any  possible  ray 
of  cheerful  sunlight.  Scores  of  gas-jets,  covered 
with  red  shades,  were  in  full  blast ;  and  as  the  front 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  35 

doors  were  of  necessity  opened  every  moment  for 
the  ingress  and  egress  of  the  motley  crowd,  the 
effect  of  the  ever-conflicting  hues  was  hideous.  An 
immense  negro,  with  a  voice  like  a  Corliss  engine, 
asked  the  names  and  then  announced  the  comers, 
who  were  borne  in  on  the  blast  of  sound.  As  our 
little  party  entered  the  house,  they  were  promptly 
accosted:  "  Wot 's  yer  names?" 

"  Mrs.  Wilton,  Miss  Wilton,  Miss  Stevens,  and 
Prince  Nikolaus  Skybeloff  ; "  these  were  no  sooner 
given  than  the  ebony  usher  bawled  out,  "Miss 
Meton,  Miss  Steves,  and  Prints  Niklass  Skylark  ;  " 
upon  which  Mrs.  Secretary  at  once  shook  hands 
all  round,  exclaiming  :  "  How  d'  ye  do,  Miss  Metow, 
Miss  Steves,  and  Mr.  What  's-your-name  ?  This  is 
my  little  gal  Sary." 

Now  Sarah,  who  stood  in  a  straight  line  on  a 
crack  of  the  floor  beside  her  mother,  was  taking 
a  look  at  the  world  at  twelve,  and  wore  a  blue 
silk  dress  flounced  to  her  waist,  and  her  hair 
banged. 

"It  is  pleasant,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  more  courteous 
than  candid,  perhaps,  "  to  have  your  daughter  assist 
you,  madam." 

"  Oh  yes,"   said  Mrs.  Secretary ;  "  I  'm  greatly 


36  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

obleeged  to  you,  mum.  Sary  's  a  good  gal.  .1  never 
hev  to  lick  her.  Won't  you,  Miss  Metow,  and  them 
other  ladies,  and  that  Mr.  What  's-his-name,  that 's 
cum  with  you,  take  something  to  eat  ?  One  gets 
very  done  out,  going  the  rounds  and  peddling  of 
cards  all  day  long.  The  vittels  is  in  the  back  room, 
and  yer  more  than  welcum.  We  never  give  drinks 
here,  because  we  are  wholly,  entirely,  and  taz-to  tally 
temperance." 

"  Thanks,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton  ;  "  we  will  take  tea 
then." 

As  they  gained  the  welcome  fresh  air  the  Prince 
exclaimed :  "  It  is  well  I  am  with  you,  ladies  ;  for 
otherwise  I  should  need  a  glossary  to  explain  the 
idiom." 

"You  would  need  more  than  a  glossary  here," 
replied  Mrs.  Wilton,  "for  the  woman  we  have  just 
left  illustrates  American  institutions  in  all  their 
glory.  Her  husband  first  saw  her  really  beautiful 
arms,  it  is  said,  as  she  stood  over  a  wash-tub  with 
sleeves  uprolled,  at  the  door  of  her  father's  inn,  in 
Texas.  The  future  Secretary  had  a  large  cattle 
ranch  on  the  Texan  plains,  and  he  took  the  buxom 
beauty  home  as  his  wife,  and  installed  her  as  mis- 
tress over  his  roomy  house.  His  flocks  and  herds 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  37 

prospered,  and  his  money  sent  him  to  Congress, 
from  whence  his  stentorian  voice  lifted  him  into 
a  Cabinet  position,  where,  as  you  see,  his  wife  is 
doing  the  honors." 

"  Yes,"  said  Stella,  laughing,  "  we  see  that  honors 
are  easy." 

"This  person  should  play  tiarti"  smiled  the 
Prince. 

The  wife  of  the  Secretary  next  called  upon  lived 
at  a  hotel,  where  a  saloon-parlor  was  engaged  for 
her  ceremonious  receptions. 

Daylight  was  also  here  rigorously  excluded,  and 
the  hostess  was  assisted  by  a  score  of  ladies  richly 
attired  in  evening  dress.  A  band  of  stringed  instru- 
ments discoursed  a  variety  of  airs,  being  placed 
in  a  corridor  near  the  hall  of  reception.  A  sort 
of  dance  music  was  performed,  and  the  effect 
was  more  exhilarating  to  the  heels  than  the  head. 
It  was  decidedly  more  suggestive  of  revelry  than 
refinement. 

Stella  declared  that  she  was  so  excited  by  the 
dance  music  that  she  could  not  walk  decorously, 
and  said  that  she  would  like  nothing  better  than  to 
stop  and  have  a  merry  waltz  then  and  there. 

"  It  is  really  odd,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  to  make  a 


38  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

merely  formal  call  in  the  midst  of  so  much  crude 
display.  How  few  seem  to  know  the  dignity  of 
simplicity,  divested  of  ostentation.  The  Speaker's 
wife  also  holds  receptions  on  Wednesday,  which 
are  thronged  with  a  promiscuous  society.  The 
Speaker  is  always  a  personage  of  great  political 
importance,  and  he  has  a  corresponding  social  place 
assigned  him.  Although  his  official  rank  is  so  high, 
yet  by  the  very  nature  of  his  office  he  is  essentially 
the  representative  of  the  people ;  and  this  fact  is 
about  as  noticeable  in  his  receptions  as  in  those  the 
President  holds.  You  will  find,"  added  Mrs.  Wilton 
to  Prince  Nikolaus,  "curious  differences  among  these 
receptions,  expressing,  as  it  were,  subtle  shades  of 
the  real  conditions  of  things  that  underlie  them.  In 
the  salons  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  for  instance, 
there  will  usually  be  found  a  more  discriminating 
social  circle.  These  receptions  are  not  usually  so 
crowded,  and  they  are  apt  to  have  an  air  of  greater 
formality.  This  probably  arises  in  part  from  the 
presence  of  the  members  of  the  corps  diplomatique. 
The  resident  society  of  Washington  will  also  be 
seen  here  —  Army  and  Navy  people,  and  strangers 
of  especial  distinction.  Not  that  the  receptions  of 
other  members  of  the  Cabinet  do  not  also  have  these 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  39 

elements,  but  that  the  combination  is  not  so  hetero- 
geneous here." 

So  saying,  they  entered  the  house  of  the  Secretary 
of  State.  In  the  days,  now  numbered  with  an  effete 
past,  of  the  old  slave  aristocracy,  the  negro,  or,  as 
he  was  called,  the  nigger  boy,  was  everywhere  seen 
in  his  glory.  Now  it  is  considered  better  form  to 
employ  the  white  usher  and  lackey ;  and  as  the 
English  are  the  best  trained,  they  are  most  in 
demand. 

There  is  a  rich  raciness  of  manner,  an  identifica- 
tion of  himself  with  the  grandeur  of  the  family  he 
serves,  a  disdain  of  all  upstarts,  an  accurate  meas- 
uring of  true  claims  to  social  prestige,  in  the  old 
negro  family-servant,  that  is  as  indescribable  as  the 
vintage  of  certain  fruity  wines.  Wherever  he  still 
lingers,  the  venerable  head  of  snow-crowned  wool, 
and  the  mingling  of  deference  with  a  kind  of  affec- 
tionate familiarity  of  manner,  invariably  marks  the 
old  retainer  who  still  clings  to  the  family  that  his 
fathers  before  him  served  ;  and  his  presence  in  turn 
confers  upon  his  master  a  surer  patent  of  respecta- 
bility than  could  be  gained  by  any  number  of  liveried 
English  lackeys  or  French  gargons. 

But  the  stately  Mrs.  Sardinius  employed  an  Eng- 


40  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

lish  footman  to  open  the  carriage  doors  of  her  visi- 
tors, and  an  English  usher,  who  very  correctly 
announced  every  one. 

As  one  entered  the  spacious  mansion,  the  day 
seemed  to  have  grown  more  wintry ;  at  least  the 
impression  made  was  that  of  frigidity. 

"Amy,"  said  Stella,  "we  were  dancing  in  the 
tropics  half  an  hour  ago ;  we  are  now  in  danger  of 
freezing." 

"It  is  better  to  be  cold  than  coarse,"  said 
Amabel. 

"  It  is  more  comme  ilfaut,  it  would  seem  to  me," 
suggested  the  Prince,  "to  be  quite  natural,  —  as 
Miss  Wilton  shows  us." 

The  little  group  were  thus  quietly  chatting  as 
they  stood  in  a  charming  recessed  window,  where 
the  sunlight  rested  as  an  aureole  on  the  trio  of 
young  heads,  who  were  garnering  in  the  world's 
wisdom  as  lookers-on.  There  was  a  sheen  that 
flickered  on  the  raven  tresses  of  Stella,  and  richer 
tints  glowed  on  Amabel's  auburn  strands ;  while  the 
somewhat  haughty  pose  of  the  Prince  formed  a  fine 
contrast.  Where  beauty  exists,  nothing  enhances 
it  like  absolute  sunshine.  Mrs.  Sardinius  had  the 
good  taste  to  let  the  sunbeams  do  their  will  in 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  41 

this  window ;  and  these  young  people  basked  in  the 
radiance,  quite  unconscious  that  they  were  aesthetic 
in  so  doing. 

"I  fear,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton  to  Mrs.  Sardinius, 
"  that  you  must  be  greatly  fatigued ;  for  I  notice, 
madam,  that  you  deem  it  necessary  to  receive  your 
guests  standing." 

"  These  receptions,"  replied  Mrs.  Sardinius,  "  re- 
quire certainly  that  one  should  be  measurably  well 
and  strong,  yet  I  find  I  can  endure  the  strain  ;  but 
the  difficult  problem  to  solve  is  the  expectation  of 
the  public  that  all  these  calls  shall  be  returned  in 
person.  At  the  close  of  any  one  of  these  mornings 
we  shall  doubtless  find  at  least  five  hundred  cards 
to  be  noticed.  The  other  ladies  of  the  Cabinet,  and 
above  all  the  Speaker's  wife,  will  have  a  still  larger 
number." 

"  Do  you  solve  the  problem  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Wilton. 

"  Only  in  part,"  said  Mrs.  Sardinius,  "  and  only 
then  by  undergoing  such  utter  physical  prostration 
as  unfits  me  for  many  other  social  demands." 

"Is  there  any  hope  of  any  adjustment  of  this 
serious  question  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Wilton. 

"I  must  confess,"  replied  Mrs.  Sardinius,  "that 
it  seems  hopeless  to  me.  To  return  so  vast  a  num- 


42  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

ber  of  calls  is  difficult,  with  every  facility  for  rapid 
transit ;  but  where,  in  addition,  visits  are  to  be  made 
at  hotels,  where  one  is  kept  waiting  twenty  minutes 
before  the  answer  comes  back,  '  Not  at  home  ; '  at 
boarding-houses,  where  one  is  asked  in,  and  re- 
quested to  walk  up  three  flights  of  stairs,  and  then 
kept  waiting ;  and  in  obscure  places  where  it  takes 
much  time  to  find  the  number  of  the  house, —  I  get 
worn  out.  Some  days  ago,  for  instance,  I  had  as 
usual  a  long  visiting-list,  a  dinner  engagement  at 
seven,  several  evening  receptions  to  attend  after  the 
dinner ;  and  I  felt  much  hurried.  On  my  list  was 
a  Mrs.  Treble,  but  my  coachman  failed  to  find  the 
house.  We  spent  an  hour  in  the  search,  until  finally 
I  saw  the  identical  name  on  the  shop  of  the  tinner 
where  we  at  times  have  kitchen-ware  repaired.  My 
footman  inquired  of  the  shopman,  who  answered 
with  much  emphasis  :  '  It  was  my  wife  who  left  her 
card  upon  Mrs.  Sardinius.  Her  parlors  are  on  the 
floor  above  the  shop.'  " 

"  Did  you  leave  your  card  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Wilton. 

"  I  made  a  call  in  person,"  replied  Mrs. 
Sardinius. 

By  this  time  quite  a  group  of  ladies  were  stand- 
ing near  Mrs.  Sardinius,  for  it  is  very  unusual  at  a 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  43 

crowded  morning  reception  that  the  hostess  has 
any  opportunity  for  other  than  monosyllabic  sen- 
tences ;  but  the  day  was  far  spent,  and  there  were 
no  new  arrivals. 

One  of  the  ladies  of  the  family  presided  very 
gracefully  at  a  pretty  tea-table,  and  there  was  a 
subdued  hum  of  voices  as  various  bits  of  gossip 
were  discussed. 

During  the  conversation  of  Mrs.  Sardinius  with 
Mrs.  Wilton,  the  Russian  Minister,  Baron  Skerow- 
ski,  had  approached  the  ladies  with  a  nonchalant 
air,  —  half  listening,  but  closely  scrutinizing  the  trio 
who  still  stood  in  the  draperied  embrasure  of  the 
oriel  window.  His  expression  was  not  a  pleased 
one,  and  for  an  instant  his  brows  contracted  into  a 
positive  scowl ;  but  quickly  recovering  himself,  and 
as  if  to  show  that  he  was  only  interested  in  the  re- 
marks of  the  ladies,  he  observed  to  Mrs.  Sardinius  : 
"  It  was  my  impression,  madame,  that  the  wife  of  the 
Premier  could  arrange  all  these  vexed  social  ques- 
tions according  to  her  own  will,  or  fancy." 

"You  have  overlooked  the  fact  that  we  are  a 
Republic,  Baron,"  laughingly  replied  Mrs.  Sardinius. 
"  In  the  first  place  the  Secretary  of  State,  in  Amer- 
ica, is  not  the  Premier.  He  is  only  the  mem- 


44  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

her  of  the  Cabinet  who  has  in  charge  our  foreign 
affairs." 

"  But,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  if  Mrs.  Sardinius  will 
allow  me  to  say  so,  it  does  seem  to  me  that  it  would 
be  conceded  to  her  Cabinet  position  to  call  a  meet- 
ing of  ladies  whose  husbands  have  leading  official 
positions,  —  that  by  common  consent  a  method  of 
relief  from  embarrassing  duties  could  be  devised 
and  published  as  the  future  etiquette  of  social  offi- 
cial life.  A  rule,  once  established,  would  not  give 
offence  in  its  application." 

"I  am  not  brave  enough  to  lead  a  social  revolu- 
tion," replied  Mrs.  Sardinius. 

"And  we  are  trespassing  upon  the  limits  of  a 
morning  visit,  madam,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "and 
must  bid  you  good-morning." 

At  this  moment  the  young  ladies  and  the  Prince 
came  up  to  make  their  adieux ;  and  the  Baron  said 
sotto  voce  to  the  Prince :  "  We  expect  you,  Prince 
Nikolaus,  to  dine  with  us  at  seven,  and  we  hold 
you  indeed  for  other  engagements  during  the 
evening." 

"  I  am  quite  at  your  service,  Baron,"  said  Prince 
Nikolaus ;  but  he  bowed  himself  out,  and  disap- 
peared with  the  ladies. 


MORNING  RECEPTIONS.  45 

The  Baron  had  high  cheek-bones,  a  very  sallow 
complexion,  ferocious  side-whiskers,  and  a  square 
chin.  This  time  a  very  decided  and  ugly  scowl 
passed  over  his  face  for  a  moment,  as  the  Prince 
left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   HONORABLE   SILVESTER   SPANGLER,    UNITED 
STATES    SENATE. 

E  life  and  adventures  of  the  Honorable  Sil- 
vester Spangler  were  of  a  kind  to  adorn  the 
pages  of  a  sensational  novel,  where  the  scenes,  in 
order  to  sustain  the  interest,  require  constant 
changes,  like  the  horses  of  a  stage-coach  on  a  rapid 
continuous  journey. 

It  may  be  said,  indeed,  that  the  most  uninterest- 
ing fact  about  this  flourishing  gentleman  was  the 
personality  of  the  man  himself.  He  had  tricked  up 
a  reputation  like  a  house  of  cards,  without  any  real 
foundation  to  rest  upon,  by  a  sort  of  hocus-pocus 
jugglery,  and  his  pasteboard  tower  looked  too  for- 
midable to  tilt  against ;  but  in  reality  the  addition 
of  one  ill-balanced  card,  or  the  honest  aim  of  one 
well-directed  blow,  might  at  any  time  topple  over 
the  whole  concern. 


SENATOR  SPANGLEE.  47 

The  world  could  not,  however,  be  entirely  de- 
ceived, but  beheld  this  hastily  acquired  fortune,  as 
is  always  the  case,  with  the  instinctive  perception  of 
its  ultimate  downfall.  The  height  gained  was  too 
dazzling  to  be  hidden  ;  and  there  were  always  some 
who  could  only  too  well  remember  the  early  obscurity, 
and  contrast  it,  by  many  damaging  innuendoes,  with 
the  present  blaze  of  splendor.  To  have  been  poor, 
very  poor,  —  to  have  grown  rich,  enormously  rich, 
while  holding  government  positions, —  this  is,  for 
the  instinct  of  the  masses,  a  damnable  fact,  which, 
no  matter  how  skilfully  explained,  is  never  forgiven. 
Any  man,  be  he  conceded  a  demigod  of  genius,  who 
dares,  while  acting  as  the  public  servant  of  the 
people,  to  build  too  high,  must  at  last  find  himself 
suspended,  like  Haman,  from  the  top  crossbeams  of 
his  own  invention.  And  so  it  got  to  be  well  under- 
stood, and  quietly  hinted,  that  to  trace  the  steps  of 
this  man's  career  was  a  curious  study. 

Silvester  was  the  son  of  a  poor  widow.  His 
mother  was  an  honest,  patient,  wilted,  weary  woman, 
who  had  borne  much  oppression  from  a  tyrannical 
husband,  whom  a  sudden  and  violent  fever  removed. 
He  left  her  and  the  world,  however  —  as  if  in  grim 
vengeance  at  his  own  forcible  taking-off  —  his  dual 
self,  his  very  image  and  likeness,  in  Silvester. 


48  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

The  one  ambition  of  the  woman's  life  was  to  edu- 
cate this  boy,  and  advance  him  beyond  the  station 
in  which  he  was  born.  She  was  very  clever  with 
her  needle,  and  had  a  real  talent  in  cutting  the  gar- 
ments thus  made  by  her,  into  pleasing  forms  ;  and 
she  had  always  as  much  work  as  her  pliant  fingers 
could  attend  to.  Thus  her  son  was  as  well  dressed 
as  any  boy  at  school.  Her  customary  exordium  to 
him  was  :  "  Silvester,  do  act  like  a  gentleman." 

"  Ma,"  bawled  that  incorrigible  youngster,  "  you 
just  bet  your  bottom  dollar  if  I  don't  act  like  a 
circus-man." 

He  instinctively  looked  at  the  world,  even  then, 
as  an  actor's  stage,  and  the  profession  of  gentle- 
man as  a  tame  affair  compared  to  the  gyrations  of 
the  gymnast  of  the  ring.  True  to  his  promptings, 
he  had  played  his  part  here  and  there,  until  his 
audience  grew  to  be  one  of  the  selected  assemblies 
of  the  world ;  and  this  great  culmination  was  not 
brought  about  by  any  just  or  honorable  ambition, 
but  it  was  the  reward  of  adroitly  planned  and  exe- 
cuted schemes.  The  schoolmaster's  boys  were  rude 
and  hard  to  manage ;  but  a  more  hateful  boy,  an 
uglier  customer,  than  Silvester,  the  Dominie  never 
had.  American  boys  are  apt,  at  best,  to  be  con- 


SENATOR  SPANGLER.  49 

densed  illustrations  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence ;  and  the  one  article  of  their  creed  is,  that  no 
one  has  rights  a  boy  is  bound  to  respect.  Silvester 
was  a  walking  edition,  in  calf,  of  this  assertion.  He 
was  an  adept  in  teasing  and  vexatious  practices.  If 
the  teacher  wore  new  trousers,  his  chair  was  se- 
cretly rubbed  with  shoemaker's  wax,  or  pins  stuck 
upright  therein.  If  a  boy  was  trying  for  a  prize, 
his  themes  were  cut  up,  water  spilled  over  his  books, 
sums  rubbed  off  his  slate.  Little  boys  were  terri- 
fied by  throwing  an  open  penknife  at  them,  just  so 
as  to  miss  aim;  jumping  out  at  them  from  behind 
sharp  corners  or  dark  places  ;  or  catching  them  up 
as  a  cat  does  a  mouse,  by  the  back  of  the  coat,  and 
letting  them  down  with  a  thump.  The  whole  school- 
room would  be  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  sudden 
click  of  a  pistol ;  or  the  running  about  of  a  mouse 
tied  to  a  string  at  the  teacher's  chair ;  or  the  pitch- 
ing to  and  fro  of  well-directed  paper-balls  on  the 
sly.  These,  and  a  thousand  other  uncanny  tricks, 
caused  him  to  be  looked  upon  as  the  big  bully  of 
the  school. 

When  he  finally  left  school,  and  engaged  himself 
as  bar-tender  at  a  restaurant,  the  same  coarse  vital- 
ity and  shrewd  dexterity  made  him  the  leading 


50  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

political  wire-puller  at  all  the  ward-meetings  of  the 
town.  At  these  meetings,  where  by  force  of  sheer 
bluster  he  imposed  upon  the  crowd,  he  first  discov- 
ered that  his  special  adaptations  led  him  in  the 
direction  of  politics.  A  lust  of  power,  to  be  grati- 
fied at  all  hazards,  was  then  enkindled  in  the  depths 
of  his  brutish  nature.  By  some  bold  impudence  of 
trickery  he  got  himself  appointed  as  the  principal 
of  the  public  school  of  the  town.  He  became  the 
very  impersonation  of  an  arbitrary  pedagogue,  and 
the  simple  people  did  not  seem  to  realize  that  it  was 
only  the  big  bully  grown  bigger,  and  careening 
about  on  stilts.  « 

Satisfied  to  have  given  the  impression  of  learn- 
ing, he  now  thought  it  best  to  add  to  the  deception 
a  flavor  of  godliness  ;  and  he  then  announced  him- 
self as  having  "  a  change  of  heart,"  and  appeared  as 
an  itinerant  preacher. 

About  this  time  he  married  a  fine-looking  girl, 
who  taught  a  primary  class  in  his  school.  There 
was  some  ill-natured  talk,  that  a  certain  big  brother 
of  hers  had  accelerated  the  calling-in  of  the  minis- 
ter, and  rather  cut  short  a  somewhat  protracted 
wooing ;  but  even  the  busiest  gossips  were  forced 
into  silence  when  Spangler,  ascending  the  pulpit, 


SENATOR  SP ANGLER.  51 

showered  orthodox  knocks  upon  their  devoted  heads. 
He  was  quite  splendid  in  this  new  role ;  for  although 
his  prayers  did  not  exactly  pierce  the  clouds,  they 
fell  like  fire  and  brimstone  upon  the  ears  of  those 
they  were  meant  to  hit  He  was  looked  upon  as  a 
powerful  speaker,  a  clear  searcher  of  men's  hearts, 
and  a  goodly  vessel  of  election  in  the  hands  of  the 
Lord. 

Having  effectively  made  broad  his  phylacteries, 
and  gained  a  corresponding  ascendency  over  many 
minds,  he  deemed  that  the  time  had  come  to  throw 
off  so  wearisome  a  mask,  and  push  on. 

He  assumed  the  publication  of  a  political  paper, 
and  poured  a  fusillade  of  vituperation  on  the  enemy. 
As  Silvester  was  nothing  if  not  aggressive,  he  was 
a  grand  success  as  the  editor  of  a  partisan  journal. 
He  was  assertive  and  abusive,  and  his  burly  frame 
and  swaggering  gait  commanded  assent  to  his 
utterances. 

He  now  seized  the  power  of  secret  societies  as  a 
weapon  ready-tempered  for  his  uses,  and  he  allied 
himself  successively  to  all  these  banded  associations 
within  his  grasp. 

He  was  in  his  very  element  where  deeds  were  to 
be  done  by  hidden  means,  and  no  scruples  with- 


52  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

held  him  from  grappling  forcibly  with  all  obstacles 
to  his  desires.  Modes  of  intimidation  were  familiar 
to  him,  and  plots  and  counterplots  were  his  delight. 
Scarcely  was  he  initiated  in  the  secrets  of  these  soci- 
eties than  he  vaulted  into  power,  rapidly  ascending 
their  successive  grades,  and  dominating  over  all  op- 
position. He  was  now  in  a  position  to  control  men. 

As  the  horizon  enlarged,  he  perceived  that  power 
without  money  is  barren  of  results ;  and  now  the 
devil  of  avarice  came  and  took  up  his  abode  with 
the  demon  of  ambition  in  the  man's  heart. 

This  combination  of  forces  led  to  quick  results. 
His  lurid  eye  was  fully  fixed  upon  Washington. 
It  was  to  be  the  means  to  an  end,  and  it  was  to  be 
his  ultima  thule.  He  became  now  an  applicant  for 
a  government  contract,  and  he  had  but  to  pick  and 
choose.  He  was  eager,  and  in  the  full  ardor  of  pur- 
suit, with  no  time,  as  he  said,  to  lose  in  torn-foolery. 
He  dictated  his  own  terms ;  and,  pulling  so  many 
wires,  out-lobbied  the  lobbyist,  and  quickly  was  on 
his  way  to  the  Indian  Territory  as  an  agent,  with  a 
fat  contract  in  his  pocket. 

God  alone  knows  in  what  deeds  of  red-handed 
murder,  and  unnamed  atrocities,  his  wicked  decep- 
tions involved  the  poor  Indian.  Famished  through 


SENATOR   SP ANGLER.  53 

the  monstrous  cheating  of  his  rotten  supplies  of 
food  ;  shivering  and  naked  because  of  the  mean  text- 
ure of  the  goods  he  sold  them  at  enormous  prices, 
such  as  he  chose  to  make  ;  maddened  to  acts  of  des- 
peration by  the  liquid  fire  of  the  bad  whiskey  for 
which  he  made  them  barter  their  very  souls,  and 
frenzied  to  a  delirium  of  revenge,  —  he  left  his  vic- 
tims of  fraud  and  wrong  dealing,  and  wended  his 
way  back  to  so-called  civilization  rejoicing.  Nor 
did  ever  the  twin-demons  that  possessed  him  cast 
any  shadow  of  a  future  doom  athwart  the  high  road 
of  his  progress. 

The  surging  masses  of  a  great  city  must  now  be 
coped  with,  and  he  no  longer  dwelt  in  country 
towns.  A  fine  house,  and  frequent  entertainments, 
brought  within  his  reach  those  whom  he  needed  to 
influence;  and  every  dollar  thus  spent  was  duly 
heralded  in  carefully  written  news-paragraphs.  He 
attached  great  importance  to  this  mode  of  achieving 
a  reputation.  As  he  was  about  to  get  his  name  put 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate, 
before  the  State  Legislature,  he  demanded  the  un- 
divided time  of  his  wife  in  receiving  the  various 
guests  whom  he  brought  at  all  hours  to  his  house 
—  to  breakfast,  to  luncheon,  to  dinner,  and  supper. 


54  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

While  Mrs.  Spangler  was  a  worldly  and  ambitious 
woman,  and  moreover  knew  that  her  husband's  will 
was  never  to  be  thwarted,  yet  there  are  limits  to 
human  strength.  She  had  an  attack  of  nervous 
prostration,  at  a  critical  moment  for  his  interests  ; 
and  although  he  was  enraged  at  any  interruption  of 
his  plans,  yet  he  saw  the  necessity  of  having  a  faith- 
ful housekeeper  to  relieve  his  wife  of  that  portion 
of  her  burdens.  He  now  bethought  him  suddenly 
of  the  woman  who  had  toiled  for  him  night  and  day, 
until  he  had  grown  strong  enough  to  cut  himself 
adrift 

"  My  mother,"  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  is  doubtless 
still  living  in  the  little  frame  house  where  I  left  her. 
I  will  write,  and  say  to  her  that  she  must  come  to  us 
at  once.  She  is  a  splendid  worker,  and  she  will  do 
the  drudgery,  while  you  must  dress  fine  and  keep 
up  your  strength  for  the  full  accomplishment  of  all 
my  plans.  And  mind  you,"  he  added  in  no  pleasant 
tone,  "  there  must  be  no  wincing,  no  giving  way, 
no  silliness.  /  am  to  be  considered." 

And  the  mother,  who  for  fifteen  long  years  had 
been  left  alone,  all  alone,  plodding  along  for  that 
daily  bread  which  she  must  have  or  perish,  but  wet- 
ting her  pillow  by  night  with  the  burning  tears  she 


SENATOR  SPANGLEtt.  55 

could  not  stop  to  shed  by  day,  —  the  mother,  who 
knew  in  the  inner  depths  of  a  broken  heart,  although 
she  would  not  even  to  herself  acknowledge  it,  that 
her  son,  in  neglecting  her,  had  proved  himself  to 
be  unutterably  base  —  how  did  she  receive  the 
summons  ? 

It  was  a  bleak  winter's  day  ;  but  not  more  frozen 
was  the  cold  earth,  than  the  chill  of  her  heart  as  a 
letter  was  handed  her  in  the  well-known  writing. 
No  one  ever  wrote  to  her ;  of  course  it  was  from 
him.  She  stood  in  the  open  doorway,  transfixed  ! 
As  the  postman  hurried  on,  he  cast  back  a  pitying 
glance,  for  he  felt  there  was  room  for  pity. 
Presently  she  closed  the  door  with  a  mechanical 
movement,  and  falling  prostrate  within,  gasped 
out :  "  O  God,  at  last." 

Not  yet  did  she  dare  to  break  the  glaring  seal  of 
red  wax.  Was  it  life,  or  was  it  death  ? 

During  all  these  years  of  desolation,  she  had 
learned  to  lean  on  God,  and  He  had  comforted  "her. 
Still  holding  her  letter  in  those  tightly  compressed 
fingers,  which  were  worn  to  the  bone  with  ceaseless 
toil,  she  cried  out  with  sublime  resignation  :  "  Thy 
will,  O  God,  not  mine,  be  done;"  and  with  this 
perfect  act  of  Christian  courage,  she  calmly  broke 
the  seal  and  read  :  — 


56  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

DEAR  MOTHER: 

Come  at  once.     I  need  you. 

SILVESTER  SPANGLER. 

And  this  short  invitation  was  the  very  first  line 
he  had  sent  her  since  the  day  he  left  her,  —  in  sul- 
len mood,  because  she  had  no  money  to  give  him, 
and  would  not,  for  she  dared  not,  sell  her  few  pieces 
of  furniture,  and  give  over  to  him  the  proceeds  of 
the  sale.  "  But  now  he  needs  me,"  she  continually 
said  to  herself,  and  love  rekindled  the  dying  embers 
of  hope. 

The  unhappy  mother  rejoined  her  unnatural  son, 
but  by  so  doing  she  sank  into  her  grave  within  one 
year.  The  care,  the  burden  imposed  upon  a  too 
exhausted  frame,  —  added  to  the  heartless  indiffer- 
ence that  did  not  hesitate  to  let  her  know  that  she 
was  only  valued  according  to  the  measure  of  her 
usefulness,  —  proved  a  too  severe  ordeal. 

At  the  close  of  the  ostentatious  funeral  which 
laid  her  in  a  long-needed  rest  in  the  City  of  the 
Dead,  Silvester  remarked  to  his  wife  :  "  It  was  a 
lucky  thing  for  me  that  mother  lasted  as  long  as  I 
needed  her." 

It  is  true  his  base  purpose  was  served ;  for  his 


SENATOR  SP ANGLER.  57 

mother  had  superintended  all  domestic  arrange- 
ments, so  long  as  it  was  needful  to  keep  open  house, 
and  manipulate  the  Legislature  which  had  convened 
to  elect  a  Senator. 

He  came  in,  through  betrayal  of  his  trust  for  a 
friend,  at  the  eleventh  hour,  and  bore  off  the 
coveted  prize  as  "  the  dark  horse." 

When  the  Honorable  Silvester  Spangler,  U.  S. 
Senator,  and  Mrs.  Silvester  Spangler  first  reached 
Washington,  they  occupied  somewhat  modest  rooms 
on  the  south  side  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 

Strange  to  say,  this  quiet  arrangement  was  in 
reality  the  result  of  the  most  egregious  vanity. 
Senator  Spangler  had  been  so  surrounded  at  home 
by  sycophants,  who  stuffed  him  with  shameless  flat- 
tery after  his  election,  that  what  with  the  natural 
excitation  produced  by  the  entire  success  of  his 
schemes,  and  his  real  ignorance  of  Washington,  he 
had  supposed  that  the  mere  fact  of  his  arrival  at 
the  Capital  would  create  a  commotion.  So,  not 
being  in  reality  a  liberal  man,  he  said  to  his  wife  : 
"  It  was  all  well  enough  to  spend  my  money  freely 
when  I  was  buying  up  the  votes  of  those  venal 
wretches  in  the  Legislature  ;  but  now  I  have  gained 
my  prize,  and  am  a  Senator  of  the  United  States,  I 


58  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

am  great  enough  to  live  as  I  choose  and  where  I 
choose  ;  and  I  '11  be  d— d  if  I  don't  squeeze  money 
enough  out  of  Uncle  Sam  to  make  him  pay  the 
fiddler.  I  am  Mr.  Senator,  and  you,  madam,  are 
Mrs.  Senator,  and  we  '11  step  high  and  live  cheap.". 

"  Live  on  our  dignity,  eh  ?  " 

Thus,  this  creature,  swelling  to  the  dimensions 
of  the  ox,  and  wearing  the  Honorable  prefix  to  his 
name,  like  the  toad,  with  "precious  jewel  in  its 
head,"  thought  even  in  Washington  that  his  equine 
bray  would  be  mistaken  for  the  genuine  lion's  roar. 

But  Senator  Spangler  was  too  astute  not  to  dis- 
cover, before  very  long,  that  he  had  in  some  way 
made  a  mistake.  A  month  later  he  said  to  his  wife  : 
"  I  '11  be  darned  if  I  can  get  the  hang  of  this  thing, 
after  all.  I  've  written  notices  about  our  being  in 
town,  and  had  them  published ;  but  there 's  a  hitch, 
and  it  don't  work." 

It  was  true  ;  not  the  faintest  ripple  of  excitement 
disturbed  society  by  the  repeated  announcements 
that  Senator  and  Mrs.  Spangler  had  taken  a  room 
in  a  boarding-house,  and  were  duly  installed  for  the 
winter. 

The  Senator  then  tried  the  experiment  of  buying 
a  crimson  velvet  dress  for  Mrs.  Senator,  and  taking 


SENATOR   SP ANGLER.  59 

her  with  him,  as  "  fine  as  a  fiddle,"  as  he  remarked, 
to  the  President's  public  evening  levee.  Here,  no 
gallant  man  offering  to  become  a  vicarious  sacrifice 
in  his  place,  he  marched  her  up  and  down  the  East 
Room,  and  round  and  round,  to  his  entire  satisfac- 
tion. His  early  tastes  for  the  life  of  a  showman 
made  him  enjoy  this  performance,  as  much  as  he 
would  have  done  advertising  a  first-class  circus,  by 
a  solemn  march  in  state  on  its  entrance  into  a 
town. 

The  modiste  who  made  this  extraordinary  dress, 
which  was  covered  with  spangles  and  tinsel,  wrote 
an  account  of  it  with  great  precision,  and  this  ap- 
peared next  day  in  all  the  papers.  "  It  pleases  me," 
observed  the  Senator,  "  to  have  Mrs.  Senator  Span- 
gler's  clothes  described.  I  spend  considerable 
money  to  dress  her  up  fine,  and  I  wish  people  to 
know  it." 

He  had  the  satisfaction  to  notice  that  an  almost 
imperceptible  swell,  enough  to  float  a  small  cock- 
boat, agitated  society  by  this  movement.  The  next 
Thursday  quite  a  number  of  people  called  —  some 
from  curiosity,  some  incited  by  a  malicious  inten- 
tion to  ridicule,  and  some  from  interested  motives. 
Thus  Mrs.  Senator  rather  unwittingly  held  her  first 
reception. 


60  A  WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

But  this  momentary  swell  did  not  amount  to  an 
upheaval,  and  the  monotony  of  their  social  life  was 
not  interrupted  that  winter,  except  by  invitations 
to  the  card-receptions  of  the  Cabinet  Ministers.  On 
these  occasions  the  red  velvet  was  duly  paraded ; 
and  being  so  awfully  conspicuous,  and  having  been 
so  much  written  about,  its  appearance  attracted  no 
little  comment.  This  the  Senator  noticed,  and  felt 
considerable  pride  in  the  idea  that  he  had  dealt  a 
trump  when  he  bought  that  dress. 

But,  as  ill-luck  would  have  it,  on  one  of  these 
evenings  Mrs.  Spangler  wore  tall  ostrich-tips  in  her 
hair,  and  presented  a  very  sensational  appearance. 
The  Senator  posed  her  in  a  conspicuous  place,  and, 
having  left  her  as  the  target  for  many  eyes,  was 
conversing  with  a  new  Western  member.  This  ru- 
ral gentleman,  suddenly  getting  a  full  view  of  Mrs. 
Spangler  in  all  her  glory,  broke  forth  with  the  irre- 
pressible exclamation  :  "  Great  Scott !  w/io  is  that 
red  woman  ?  May  be  she 's  a  native  Injun  !  Why, 
if  she  was  to  go  out  to  my  farm,  she  'd  have  all  the 
turkey-gobblers  flying  after  her." 

"  That  woman,  sir,"  hissed  the  irate  Senator,  "  is 
my  wife,  sir,  —  Mrs.  Senator  Spangler,  sir,  —  I  'd 
have  you  know,  sir ! "  whereupon  the  offending 


SENATOR  SP ANGLER.  6 1 

Honorable  only  thrust  his  hands  deeper  and  deeper 
into  his  pockets,  and  involuntarily  puckering  his 
mouth,  gave  vent  to  his  pent-up  emotions  by  one 
long,  low  whistle  :  "  W- — // — e — w  !  !  " 

After  that  the  red  dress  was  no  longer  in  favor. 
The  Senator  was  mystified ;  and  his  wife,  poor  soul, 
was  powerless  to  help  him  solve  the  riddle. 

This  man  had  not  commenced  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder,  and  from  thence  stolidly  worked  his  way  up, 
without  having  learned  the  need  of  careful  and  pa- 
tient observation.  He  had  the  wit  to  know  that  he 
would  only  stultify  himself  if  he  tried  to  claim  the 
attention  of  the  Senate  ;  and  so  he  did  not  ex- 
pect to  become  conspicuous  by  forensic  ability. 
Yet  he  was  determined  to  secure  influence  covertly, 
and  by  various  means,  if  possible.  Hence  arose,  in 
part,  his  determination  to  secure  notoriety  in  some 
way.  During  the  remainder  of  this  first  winter, 
which  terminated  March  4,  he  studied  the  situation ; 
and,  little  by  little,  he  comprehended  much  that  had 
at  first  puzzled  him. 

As  Senator  Spangler  sought  his  room  the  last 
night  of  that  Congress,  a  tired-out  and  a  very  cross 
man,  he  blazed  forth  to  the  companion  of  his  sor- 
rows :  "  I  've  been  a  d d  fool  for  one  winter  of 


62  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

my  life,  Mrs.  Spangler ;  I  '11  be  blamed  if  I  hain't. 
But  if  I  'm  a  fool  once,  I  'm  not  a  fool  twice.  My 
experience  has  been  of  value  to  me,  for  now  I  know 
a  thing  or  two.  It 's  not  enough  to  be  a  plain  sen- 
ator, and  live  on  the  south  side  of  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  unless  you  use  the  gift  of  gab,  and  speechify 
and  orate.  There 's  something,  too,  beside  my  pile 
of  money  needed,  —  more  money,  a  big  house,  and 
to  give  entertainments." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   HOUSE   THAT   SILVESTER   SPANGLER   BUILT. 

/^VNE  secret  of  the  success  of  Senator  Spang- 
ler  was  that  with  him  action  went  hand  in 
hand  with  resolution.  The  very  next  morning  after 
the  adjournment  of  Congress  he  sent  for  a  well- 
known  architect,  and  informed  him  that  he  must 
have  a  grand  house  built  and  furnished  for  occu- 
pancy by  the  opening  of  the  next  session  of 
Congress. 

"When  Congress  convenes,  Mr.  Steinhaus,"  said 
the  Senator,  "I  must  be  ready  to  give  a  house- 
warming.  Please,  sir,  apply  yourself  tat  once  to  the 
task,  and  work  night  and  day ;  for  in  three  days 
from  now  the  ground  must  be  broken  and  the  build- 
ing under  way.  While  you  are  preparing  the  plans, 
I  will  buy  the  ground,  and  make  all  the  business 
contracts,  so  that  there  need  be  no  delay." 

"But,   Mr.   Senator,"   suggested  the    architect, 


64  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"will  it  not  be  better  to  buy  the  ground  first,  so 
that  I  can  adapt  the  structure  to  the  situation  ? " 

"  Mr.  Steinhaus,"  sternly  replied  the  Senator,  "  if 
you  do  not  like  my  way  of  doing  business,  give  up 
the  work.  I  have  no  time  to  lose  in  hum-drum 
methods." 

"As  you  prefer,  Mr.  Senator,"  acquiesced  the  puz- 
zled architect ;  "  but  pray  tell  me,  what  style  of 
architecture  do  you  wish  me  to  adopt  ? " 

Thereupon  the  Honorable  Senator,  suddenly 
throwing  up  his  legs  at  an  angle  of  ninety-five  de- 
grees, resting  his  feet  on  the  top  of  the  high  back 
of  an  armchair  near  by,  and  rolling  a  quid  of  to- 
bacco in  his  mouth,  exclaimed :  "  I  should  say  de- 
cidedly, sir,  a  very  swell  style  indeed." 

A  faint  smile  relaxed  the  somewhat  stern  face  of 
Mr.  Steinhaus,  as  with  a  quick  glance,  which  seemed 
to  take  the  measure  of  the  man,  he  suggested  in  a 
low  ironical  tone  :  "Any  particular  swell  style  ? " 

The  Senator  felt  the  tone,  although  he  was  too 
much  of  an  ignoramus  in  the  fine  arts  to  compre- 
hend the  irony ;  but  being  nettled  he  blurted  out : 
"  Par-tic-u-lar  swell  style,  sir  ?  You  fail  to  get  my 
idea.  What  I  must  have  is  a  thundering  big  house, 
considerably  bigger  than  other  people's  houses ;  I 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  65 

mean  other  senators',  judges',  generals',  admirals', 
and  even  contractors'  houses,  sir.  My  house  must 
be  the  top  of  the  heap  ;  and  do  you  suppose,  when 
such  a  darnation  grand  concern  goes  up,  any  one 
particular  style,  however  swell,  will  be  equal  to  the 
situation  ? " 

"Ah,  yes,"  cried  the  artist,  as  if  quite  enthused, 
"  I  have  at  last  caught  your  very  original  idea,  Mr. 
Senator.  I  see,  sir  !  You  require,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce this  grandiose  effect,  a  massive  Renaissance 
square,  dominated  by  a  gay  French  mansard  roof, 
with  high-peaked  Flemish  gables,  and  relieved  by 
Queen  Anne  turrets  filling  out  the  salient  angles ; 
the  whole  to  be  ornamented  by  arabesque  exterior 
tracery,  the  family  escutcheon  cut  over  the  princi- 
pal door  of  entrance,  and  surmounted  by  an  impos- 
ing gothic  porte-cochtre" 

Mr.  Steinhaus,  in  the  midst  of  his  Icarian  flight, 
halted  for  breath  ;  when  the  Senator,  squirting  from 
out  his  closed  teeth  a  Parthian  hit  of  tobacco  juice, 
which  sped  hissing  straight  into  the  glowing  coals 
of  an  open  fire,  mildly  sibilated  :  "  I  am  especially 
in  favor  of  that  pert-cocJion^ 

Whereupon  the  delectated  artist  retorted :  "Doubt- 
less, Mr.  Senator,  it  will  harmonize  with  family  tra- 
5 


66  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

ditions  ;  and  you  must  .have  the  coat  of  arms  to 
correspond." 

The  Senator  was  so  pleased  he  grew  witty.  "  My 
name  is  Spangler,"  said  he  ;  "  give  me  that  coat 
with  arms  spangled ;  and  when  you  dress  me  up, 
and  hang  me  over  my  front  door,  put  no  red  in  it, 
but  twist  a  golden  cord  round  the  top." 

"Exactly,"  interlocuted  the  architect,  "looped 
like  a  noose." 

"  A  noose  ? "  said  the  Senator,  his  brows  con- 
tracting. 

"My  idea,"  hastily  interrupted  Mr.  Steinhaus, 
quickly  drawing  an  outline  on  his  card  with  a  pen- 
cil, "  was  not  well  formulated.  It  was  simply  the 
artistical  conception  of  a  geometrically  inverted 
node." 

"  Fix  it  up  as  you  will,"  acquiesced  the  pacified 
Senator.  "  I  see  you  know  your  business,  Mr.  Stein- 
haus. Now  go  to  work." 

A  few  days  after  this  interesting  interview,  a 
very  large  corner-lot,  bordered  by  two  streets  and 
two  wide  alley-ways,  in  the  fashionable  West  End 
of  the  capital,  was  in  process  of  excavation  ;  and 
in  the  early  days  of  the  succeeding  November  a 
huge  edifice  had  been  completed  thereon. 


TEE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  67 

When  carping  critics  —  with  exploded  ideas  that 
architecture  is  a  noble  art,  based  upon  certain  fixed 
principles  —  came  to  view  this  surprising  agglome- 
ration of  stone,  iron,  lamp-blacked  mortar,  various- 
colored  bricks,  and  red  tiles,  their  great  amazement 
at  first  actually  suspended  criticism. 

Mr.  Whitman,  the  decorative  artist,  thought  that 
this  seemingly  incongruous  mass  required  careful 
study;  as  he  had  never  noticed  similar  eccentricities 
in  other  buildings  erected  by  the  genius  of  Mr. 
Steinhaus,  who  had  studied  his  profession  in  the 
best  schools  abroad,  and  had  until  now  done  con- 
scientious work. 

Mr.  Clysmic  simply  said  :  "  Much  learning  has 
made  the  man  mad.  It  is  a  crazy  house." 

At  the  first  meeting  for  the  season,  of  the  Classi- 
cal Society,  an  exhaustive  article  on  "  The  Peculiari- 
ties and  Tendencies  of  Modern  Architecture"  was 
read,  wherein  it  was  argued,  down  to  a  fine  point, 
that  this  nineteenth  century  would  see  the  culmina- 
tion of  this  first  of  the  fine  arts,  by  producing  a 
composite  or  mixed  order  out  of  all  the  elements, 
and  would  bring  the  various  hitherto  recognized 
orders  into  subjection  to  it.  The  chateau  recently 
erected  by  the  Honorable  Senator  was  alluded  to 


68  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

as  a  striking  instance  of  modern  art  tendencies,  as 
it  could  in  nowise  be  defined,  except  by  calling  it 
the  Bizarre. 

Now  Senator  Spangler  had  been  invited  to  at- 
tend this  meeting  of  the  Classical  Society,  and  a 
conspicuous  chair  in  the  front  row  of  seats  had 
been  assigned  him.  He  was  not  very  well  pleased 
with  the  concluding  sentence  of  the  paper,  which 
was  anyhow  exceedingly  tiresome  to  him ;  and  he 
thereupon  arose  and  remarked,  that  the  learned 
Professor  was  somewhat  mixed  himself  on  the 
whole  subject ;  but  that  he  could  not  give  the  go-by 
to  the  assertion  that  his  residence  was  intended  for 
a  Bazaar,  for  such  was  not  the  case.  It  was 
meant  for  a  Senatorial  mansion." 

This  explanation  was  so  unanswerable  that  even 
the  women  of  the  Society  had  nothing  to  say. 

The  above-mentioned  structure  was,  for  all  that, 
aptly  designated  as  the  Bizarre ;  and,  considering 
all  the  uses  the  Senator  intended  to  make  of  it, 
might  quite  as  aptly  be  also  called  the  Bazaar.  The 
building,  like  the  architecture  thereof,  faced  in  all 
directions.  It  had  an  uneasy  look,  and,  Janus-like, 
presented  several  fa9ades. 

"  I  am  at  a  loss  how  to  consider  it,"  said  M.  le 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  69 

Vicomte  De  La  Tour ;  "one  cannot  tell  in  what  di- 
rection it  is  made  to  sorienter" 

This  sarcasm  was  literally  true.  The  pretentious 
porte  cochere  was  an  undying  success,  with  its  huge 
lamp  of  far-reaching  electric  light,  and  its  extraor- 
dinary, clear-cut  escutcheons.  This  side  of  the 
house  asserted  itself  as  the  facade  surely  ;  but  no  ! 
a  huge  tower  —  with  gothic  arch  of  entrance,  and 
another  dazzling  electric  light  fixed  thereon  — 
claimed,  at  the  projecting  corner-point,  equal  atten- 
tion; while  on  the  side  that  faced  another  street 
were  the  airy  portals  of  a  French  chateau. 

This  perplexing  house  became  an  objective  point 
for  the  city  to  look  at,  and  the  city,  in  Washington, 
means  the  nation.  One  autumnal  November  day, 
just  before  the  re-assembling  of  Congress,  the  same 
Western  member,  who  was  the  hero  of  the  red-dress 
tragedy  of  the  winter  previous,  strolled  out  with  a 
constituent  who  was  in  town,  to  see  the  sights,  and, 
among  other  things,  to  look  at  this  new  erection. 
As  they  stood  before  the  unshapely  pile,  the  West- 
erner exclaimed  :  "  By  jingo,  Brown,  this  house 
beats  all  creation.  It's  a  house  easy  to  get  into 
and  easy  to  get  out  of  in  case  of  sudden  fire. 
These  three  front  doors  puzzle  me.  I  wish  my 


70  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

dear  old  grandmother,  that 's  gone  to  glory,  could 
look  down  and  see  them ;  but  it  might  disturb  her 
peace,  and  set  her  to  caterwauling  to  see  herself  so 
outdone." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Mac,  what  do  you  mean  ? "  said 
Brown. 

"  Nothing,  Brown,  except  that  these  three  front 
doors  recall  to  my  mind  my  grandmother.  She 
had  a  wonderful  liking  for  cats,  and  her  house  was 
made  to  accommodate  them.  She  had  all  sorts. 
Yellow  cats,  black  cats,  white  cats,  gray  cats,  Mal- 
tese and  Burmese  cats,  raced  about  the  place  like 
mad,  and  scores  of  these  cats  had  kittens.  Grand- 
mother said  that  she  wanted  them  all  to  feel  at  home  ; 
and  in  order  to  give  them  the  free  and  easy  run  of 
the  rooms,  she  had  two  holes  cut  in  the  lower  panels 
of  all  the  doors.  The  big  holes,  she  would  explain, 
are  for  the  big  cats,  and  the  little  holes,  for  the 
little  cats.  But  in  this  house,  you  see,  there  are 
three  front  doors.  I  suppose  that  the  big  one,  with 
a  covered  way,  is  meant  for  big-  bugs.  The  lesser 
arched  door  for  the  small  fry,  and  the  third  door, 
round  on  the  other  street,  must  be  for  the  Senator's 
constituents — who  sometimes  fight  like  Kilkenny 
cats  —  to  come  and  go  easy." 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  ^\ 

"  One  thing  you  may  be  sure  of,"  growled  Senator 
Spangler  in  the  astonished  ear  of  the  Western  mem- 
ber, "  none  of  these  doors  were  made  to  open  and 
shut  for  simpletons  of  your  complexion  ! " 

Thus  confronted,  as  he  looked  suddenly  around, 
the  rural  member  discovered  to  his  dire  dismay, 
that  his  would-be  facetious  anecdote  had  been  lis- 
tened to  by  Senator  Spangler,  as  well  as  by  Brown, 
for  whom  it  was  intended.  Once  again,  as  Spangler 
turned  on  his  heel  and  departed,  Mac's  discomfiture 
was  expressed  in  a  long,  low  whistle  —  W-h-e-w. 

The  architect  had  now  erected  the  structure,  but 
a  still  more  perplexing  task  remained, —  namely,  that 
of  adopting  an  interior  effect  of  decorative  orna- 
mentation to  this  incongruous  exterior. 

Senator  Spangler  had,  by  this  time,  become  so 
completely  dazed  by  the  deluge  of  criticism  poured 
upon  his  house,  that  he  was  nothing  loth  to  appeal 
to  his  wife  for  help  in  his  embarrassment ;  although, 
he  often  asserted  that,  as  a  matter  of  principle,  it 
was  not  safe  to  allow  any  headway  to  women.  Mrs. 
Spangler  had  a  feminine  quickness  of  perception, 
but  she  had  no  training.  It  could  not  be  expected 
that  she  should  unravel  the  tangled  threads  of  such 
a  labyrinthine  maze.  One  can  therefore  readily 


72  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

understand  that  the  interior  of  this  bewildering 
edifice  was  quite  as  astonishing  as  the  exterior 
appearance. 

The  Senator,  like  the  class  of  people  in  general 
who  have  gained  wealth  beyond  any  corresponding 
culture,  had  adopted,  as  a  rule  of  guidance  in  mat- 
ters of  taste,  the  cost  of  a  thing ;  so  that  he  made 
his  selections  accordingly.  Of  course  he  constant- 
ly fell  into  the  most  absurd  mistakes,  and  trades- 
people, discovering  this  weakness,  often  imposed 
upon  him.  He  likewise  had  another  defect,  which 
is  also  a  very  common  failing  among  people  of 
fashion,  —  a  partiality  for  French  phrases  and 
names.  This  predilection  not  unfrequently  occurs, 
as  in  the  case  of  Senator  Spangler,  in  connection 
with  a  real  ignorance  of  the  language,  and  makes 
sad  havoc  of  common  sense. 

A  month's  busy  work,  and  a  purse  said  to  be  as 
long  as  the  Atlantic  Cable,  had  overcome  seemingly 
insurmountable  obstacles  to  the  rapid  completion  of 
the  furnishing  of  the  house.  Finally,  in  the  last 
days  of  November,  the  Senator  found  himself  in- 
stalled in  his  new  palace.  He  had  good  nerve,  and 
was  as  insensible  to  all  the  finer  emotions  that 
afflict  most  people,  as  if  he  were  encased  in  a  dif- 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  73 

ferent  sort  of  epidermis  ;  but,  after  all,  he  lived  and 
moved  and  had  his  being  in  the  same  earthly  tene- 
ment as  when  he  was  the  poor  widow's  son. 

On  that  particular  evening,  when  first  he  dwelt 
in  his  palatial  halls,  the  spirit  of  that  mother  would 
"  not  down."  Her  memory  had  left  no  sacred  pic- 
ture on  his  callous  heart,  and  he  did  not  wish  in 
this  primal  hour  of  worldly  grandeur  to  have  his 
exultation  diminished  or  obscured  by  a  shadow  of 
the  past ;  and  yet  on  that  night,  as  he  traversed  the 
wide  halls,  the  stately  apartments,  or  ascended  the 
broad  stairways,  there  fell  upon  his  every  movement 
the  oppressive  sense  that  she,  too,  had  taken  up  her 
abode  within  those  walls.  "  Great  God,"  exclaimed 
he,  "is  this  to  be  that  folly  they  call  a  haunted 
house  ? "  and  he  shuddered  as  her  cold  breath 
blanched  his  cheek,  and  the  sense  of  her  reproach- 
es fell  upon  his  soul,  as  if  burned  there  in  letters 
of  fire.  "  O  my  son,  my  son  !  I  would  have  died 
for  thee ;  and  thou  didst  sap  the  life  current  of  my 
existence  by  thy  cruelties  ! " 

He  grew  livid  with  rage.  There  was  nothing 
palpable  to  strike  or  to  crush,  and  with  clenched 
fist  and  hissing  sound  he  cried  out :  "  Damnation." 
Forth  went  the  fiat,  damnation,  hurled  by  a  seared 


74  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

conscience  into  the  vast  abyss  ;  and  with  it  floated 
past  the  icy  chill  of  a  sepulchral  sigh,  for  the 
sainted  spirit  of  the  long-suffering  mother  had 
once  again  failed  to  save  her  son.  Yet  intermin- 
gled with  that  sigh,  like  a  plaintive  minor-tone, 
was  blended  an  angelic  melody  of  "  Thy  will  be 
done,"  not  given  to  his  coarse  sense  to  hear. 

The  man  stole  to  his  bedroom  like  a  whipped 
hound.  "  This  cursed  house  has  the  chill  of  a 
graveyard  in  it,"  said  he  to  his  wife,  "  and  the  wind 
mutters  through  these  wide  halls  as  if  let  loose 
from  hell." 

"  I  told  you,"  she  indiscreetly  answered,  "  that 
there  was  nothing  so  deadly  as  the  reeking  moist- 
ure of  fresh  mortar,  and  what  you  feel  is  — " 

"  Silence,  wretched  woman,"  shouted  the  infuria- 
ted husband  ;  "  you  lie." 

Thereupon,  on  that  primordial  night,  a  desolate 
stillness  fell,  like  a  leaden  pall,  upon  bitter,  angry 
hearts  within  those  fated  walls. 

But  with  the  new  day  was  re-enkindled  the 
eagerness  of  worldly  interests.  The  keen  exulta- 
tion of  possession  took  on  the  semblance  of  real 
happiness,  as  the  master,  with  proud,  deliberate 
step,  examined  and  re-examined  his  surroundings. 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  ?$ 

The  spacious  hall  of  entrance  was  in  part  supported 
by  interlaced  arches,  and  had  a  high  dado  of  oak 
panelling  ;  and  the  grand  staircase  added  to  the  fine 
effect.  Yet  all  this  beauty  was  strangely  marred 
by  the  odd  idea  of  a  full-length  portrait  of  the 
Senator,  in  stained  glass,  filling  the  space  of  a  win- 
dow above.  Although  a  Roman  toga  of  brilliant 
hues  was  wrapped  around  him,  yet  through  the 
many  leaded  panes  filtered  minute  rays  of  clear 
light,  and  altogether  he  looked,  as  Mr.  Clysmic 
declared,  "very  transparent ;"  but  it  happened  that 
the  Senator  failed  to  see  through  himself,  as  others 
saw  through  him. 

Opening  into  the  large  central  hall  were  many 
apartments,  very  carefully  elaborated,  gorgeously 
upholstered,  and  filled  with  an  indescribable  confu- 
sion of  modern  and  antique  styles.  Queen  Anne, 
oriel,  French  casement,  and  other  windows,  were 
draped  with  laces,  lustrous  brocades,  and  Oriental 
stuffs  ;  while  portieres  of  wonderful  design  gave 
pleasing  vistas.  The  collection  of  bric-a-brac  was 
so  remarkable  as  to  produce  the  impression  of  a 
museum ;  for  Japanese  and  Chinese  egg-shells, 
crackles,  and  satsumas  were  placed  in  juxtaposition 
with  Dutch  delft,  Italian  majolica,  Dresden  china, 


76  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

English  Wedgwood  and  Minton,  Peruvian  pottery, 
and  French  faience. 

The  principal  drawing-room  was  celadon  in  hue, 
and  a  glitter  of  gilding ;  while  a  huge  design  in  niello 
was  over  the  open  fireplace,  —  the  mantel  being  of 
carved  woods,  with  supporting  caryatides  ;  and  the 
hearth  was  laid  in  Dutch  tiles.  The  adjoining  par- 
lors were  in  celestial  blue  and  chrysanthemum  tints. 
There  was  a  boudoir  of  roses,  and  a  library  filled 
with  richly  bound  books,  arranged  in  rows  of  equal 
sizes  and  gay  colors. 

Set  upon  pedestals  and  in  niches  were  Grecian, 
alabaster,  also  antique  vases  of  bronze,  and  hung 
upon  the  walls,  doisonnt  and  other  curious  placques. 
The  inlaid  floors  exhibited  beautiful  specimens  of 
marquetry,  and  were  variously  adorned  with  Japan- 
ese, Turkish,  Persian,  Wilton,  and  other  rugs ;  be- 
side many  furs  of  the  white,  black,  and  grizzly  bear, 
silver-fox,  Alaska  wolf,  seal,  and  leopard. 

All  was  now  in  readiness  for  the  house-warming 
which  Senator  Spangler  had  told  Mr.  Steinhaus, 
some  six  months  previous,  he  must  have  the  ensu- 
ing winter.  Accordingly  five  hundred  invitations 
were  extended  to  the  fashionable  world  of  Washing- 
ton for  the  evening  of  January  2,  at  ten  o'clock,  by 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  77 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Silvester  Spangler ;  while  five  hun- 
dred other  dear  friends  solicited  cards  of  invitation. 
Added  to  this  unexpected  addition  were  one  hun- 
dred reporters,  who  were  to  occupy  every  coign  of 
vantage ;  and  some  five  hundred  recent  arrivals  in 
the  city,  who  found  it  requisite  to  attend  when  the 
time  came. 

Washington  is  so  accustomed  to  this  sort  of  ab- 
normal increase  to  the  number  of  guests,  when  pub- 
lic men  give  entertainments,  that  this  was  rather  a 
matter  of  course. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  HAS  A  CLAIM  BEFORE  CONGRESS. 
THE  HONORABLE  PHINEAS  IGNOTUS,  H.  R. 

"JV/TR.  Warfield  Percy  was  a  very  wealthy  South- 
ern gentleman,  who  owned  several  extensive 
plantations  in  Louisiana  and  Mississippi,  from 
which  he  derived  a  great  revenue.  When  the 
South  seceded  from  the  Union,  Mr.  Percy  was  im- 
pressed with  the  folly  of  the  movement ;  but  at  the 
same  time  he  had  not  the  moral  courage  to  oppose 
the  popular  clamor  and  express  his  convictions.  He 
had  never  at  any  time  given  personal  attention  to 
his  affairs,  being  quite  satisfied  with  the  life  of  lux- 
urious ease  permitted  by  the  ample  means  collected 
for  him  through  overseers  by  his  homme  d'affaires. 
He  therefore  concluded  that  he  would  leave  a  coun- 
try so  agitated  by  revolution,  and  seek  the  pleasures 
of  life  elsewhere.  It  never  occurred  to  this  large 
landholder  that  it  was  his  duty  to  remain  at  home 


MME.  FLORENCE  PERCY  DE  BEAULIEU.     79 

during  a  period  of  such  great  calamity  to  his  coun- 
try, and  use  the  influence  he  commanded  as  a  good 
citizen  should  do. 

This  want  of  patriotism  was  not  the  result  of  in- 
herent selfishness,  for  Mr.  Percy  was  a  generous, 
kind-hearted  man ;  but  it  arose  from  the  defective 
nature  of  his  education.  He  had  never  been  taught 
the  ennobling  effect  of  self-sacrifice,  but  from  in- 
fancy had  been  the  spoiled  child  of  fortune.  He 
was  the  autocrat  over  hundreds  of  human  beings, 
whose  sole  object  in  life  must  be  to  provide  for  his 
enjoyment ;  and  self-indulgence  thus  became  the 
rule  of  his  existence. 

His  faults  were  the  outcome  of  the  vicious  sys- 
tem in  the  midst  of  which  he  was  born  and  edu- 
cated, but  his  many  good  qualities  came  from 
excellent  natural  traits  not  perverted.  He  was  a 
loving  husband,  an  affectionate  father,  and  a  true 
friend.  He  had  the  accomplished  manners  of  la 
haute  soctitt  of  the  Old  World  ;  and  when  he  left 
the  United  States,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
only  child,  Florence,  he  felt  quite  at  home  in  Paris  ; 
but  Mrs.  Percy  had  left  five  brothers  to  whom  she 
was  tenderly  attached,  and  whose  darling  she  had 
been  in  the  merry  home  of  her  girlhood.  These 


80  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

young  Southerners  rushed  into  the  war  with  reck- 
less fury  and  bravery.  One  by  one  they  all  per- 
ished, —  either  killed  outright  in  deadly  conflict,  or 
dying  of  wounds  received.  The  pining  for  home 
and  country,  the  feverish  uneasiness  regarding  her 
loved  ones,  and  the  repeated  shocks  she  received 
in  the  successive  disasters  that  befell  her  brothers, 
proved  too  severe  a  strain  upon  her  delicate  organ- 
ization. Mr.  Percy  saw  with  alarm  that  she  was 
slowly  sinking,  and,  hoping  to  arrest  her  decline, 
took  her  to  various  celebrated  physicians,  but  all  in 
vain.  Finally  she  died  at  Nice,  where  her  distressed 
husband  had  conducted  her  in  the  fond  hope  of  her 
recovery. 

Florence  was  a  beautiful  girl,  in  the  full  bloom  of 
sixteen  ;  and  being  left  motherless  at  so  inexpe- 
rienced an  age,  with  a  father  thus  immersed  in 
grief,  and  so  indulgent  to  her  every  whim  as  to 
leave  her  quite  untrammelled,  she  was  soon  sur- 
rounded by  admirers,  among  whom  she  selected  a 
fascinating  young  officer,  Captain  Victor  de  Beau- 
lieu.  This  marriage  at  eighteen  was  not  displeas- 
ing to  Mr.  Percy,  who  was  very  desolate,  and  not 
averse  to  the  dashing  military  man  who  was  kind 
to  Florence  and  made  her  happy.  But  at  the  end 


MME.  FLORENCE  PERCY  DE  BEAULIEU.     8 1 

of  two  years,  when  Florence  was  scarcely  twenty 
years  of  age,  poor  M.  De  Beaulieu,  who  would  ride 
the  most  vicious  animals  in  a  heedless  way,  was 
killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  runaway  horse. 

Poor  Florence  was  left  very  desolate,  but  with  a 
lovely  infant,  her  little  Percy.  This  beloved  name- 
sake became  an  object  of  idolizing  tenderness  to 
Mr.  Percy.  But  when  this  dear  boy  had  attained 
his  tenth  year,  his  grandfather  died,  leaving  Flor- 
ence unprotected  in  the  world,  with  only  the  child 
to  comfort  her. 

The  aged  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  still  survived,  living 
in  her  ancestral  home  in  Brittany;  and  thither 
Florence  turned  her  sad  steps  with  Percy.  A  year 
of  gloom  in  the  old  chateau  was  endured  by  her, 
but  she  felt  it  to  be  quite  impossible,  at  the  age  of 
thirty,  to  continue  so  solitary  a  life.  She  had  been 
educated  in  entire  freedom  from  all  creeds,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  peculiar  views  of  her  father,  whose 
sinful  love  of  ease  inspired  him  with  a  great  dread 
of  becoming  a  member  of  any  association  or  organi- 
zation whatever.  He  looked  upon  all  churches 
alike  as  human  inventions,  calculated  to  rob  the 
unwary  of  liberty  of  action.  Of  course  Florence 
was  not  taught  any  system  of  religious  belief ;  but, 
6 


82  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

on  the  contrary,  Mr.  Percy  always  declared  that  it 
was  his  intention  to  keep  her  mind  free  from  all 
entanglements. 

The  result  of  such  training  was,  that  although 
Mme.  De  Beaulieu  was  a  really  amiable  and  inter- 
esting woman,  yet  she  lived  upon  the  surface  of 
things,  and  had  no  definite  principle  as  a  guide. 

She  was,  after  all,  only  a  beautiful  Pagan,  spared 
from  the  commission  of  grave  faults  by  a  sensitive, 
proud  nature,  that  made  her  shrink  from  contami- 
nating influences.  She  was  not  irreligious  wilfully, 
but  taught  to  accept  negations  as  realities.  She 
had  literally  no  religion. 

Thus  deprived  of  the  ineffable  consolations  of 
faith  to  sustain  her  in  sorrow,  she  eagerly  turned, 
with  all  the  impetuosity  of  worldly  ambition,  to 
other  sources  for  aid  and  comfort.  She  determined 
to  return  to  America  with  the  young  Percy,  and 
try  the  effect  of  an  entire  change  of  scene,  in  hopes 
to  regain  lost  happiness.  The  aged  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu  had  hoped  that  her  son's  widow  and  his 
lovely  child  would  be  content  to  remain  in  Brittany, 
and  the  decision  of  Florence  was  a  great  blow  to 
her. 

Indeed  the  somewhat  straitened  circumstances, 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  AND  MR.  IGNOTUS.     83 

and  diminishing  income  of  these  ladies,  presented  a 
very  serious  aspect  for  their  consideration. 

It  is  a  very  strange  thing,  the  world  over,  what 
an  invariable  tendency  exists  among  men  to  deprive 
widows  and  orphans  of  any  wealth  they  may  pos- 
sess. To  speak  plainly,  they  are  robbed  under 
every  pretext. 

The  remittances  sent  from  the  United  States 
certainly  were  materially  reduced  after  the  death  of 
Mr.  Percy  ;  and  finally  the  agent  wrote  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu  that,  having  grown  old  in  her  father's  ser- 
vice, he  claimed  exemption  from  so  much  care,  and 
he  begged  her  to  provide  for  the  management  of 
her  estates.  After  the  slaves  had  been  manumitted, 
the  plantations  had  ceased  to  be  so  valuable,  and 
new  leases  were  badly  managed  and  were  compara- 
tively of  little  value. 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  felt  herself  impelled  by  a 
thousand  reasons  to  leave  Europe,  where  only  her 
dead  remained,  and  seek  a  renewed  life  in  the  novel 
excitements  of  the  New  World.  Her  resolution 
was  taken  ;  and  bidding  an  affecting  farewell  to 
Chateau  De  Beaulieu  and  its  aged  inmate,  she 
sailed  for  New  York,  accompanied  by  Percy  and  a 
French  maid. 


84  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

The  travers/e,  made  in  midsummer,  was  agreea- 
ble and  rapid,  and  in  a  short  time  Mme.  De  Beau- 
lieu  reached  New  York;  and  in  the  autumn  she 
visited  the  old  Louisiana  homestead  at  Carondale. 

She  found  the  once  beautiful  home,  which  had 
been  closed  for  so  many  years,  somewhat  dilapi- 
dated, but  not  ruinous.  Only  such  changes  had 
taken  place  as  are  impressed  by  neglect  during  a 
lapse  of  years ;  and  as  she  wandered  through  the 
various  apartments  of  the  home  of  her  childhood, 
with  young  Percy  closely  clinging  to  her  skirts  as 
if  in  some  haunted  castle,  there  came  unbidden 
recollections  —  at  first  dim,  then  taking  firmer 
shape  —  of  the  various  incidents  of  her  early  life. 

Some  old  servants  who  had  been  slaves  of  the 
family,  and  were  too  feeble  to  wander  forth  over  the 
face  of  the  earth  after  they  were  freed,  still  lin- 
gered in  their  cabins  on  the  plantation,  and  flocked 
to  see  "  Miss  Florence,  and  de  bootifullest  chile,  de 
young  Massa  Percy,  de  Lor  bress  him;"  and  to 
gossip  about  her  mother,  "  Miss  Mary,"  and  her 
father, "  Massa  Percy,"  and  of  all  the  past  glories 
of  the  family;  intermingling  their  honeyed  flattery 
with  many  whiffs  of  contempt  and  slurs  on  "de  po' 
white  trash,"  now  "carryin  on  high  fro'  what 
quality  used  to  was." 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  AND  MR.  1GNOTUS.     85 

As  a  result  of  business  interviews  with  the  agent, 
Mr.  Long,  it  was  explained  very  carefully  that  the 
estate  had  a  good  claim  against  the  government,  for 
a  very  large  sum  of  money.  Something  of  this  had 
at  different  times  been  hinted  at  by  Mr.  Long,  in 
his  very  concise  letters  to  France,  but  nothing  was 
told  to  convey  the  idea  that  any  importance  was 
attached  to  the  matter.  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had 
a  good  clear  head,  with  a  fair  share  of  business 
capacity  ;  only  the  talent  needed  development. 

"  Why  did  you  not  explain  all  this  to  me,  Mr. 
Long,  as  fully  in  your  letters  as  you  have  just 
done  in  our  conversation  ? "  exclaimed  the  lady,  not 
a  little  nettled. 

"  I  did  not  like  to  bother  you,  Miss  Florence," 
said  the  old  employe  of  the  family.  "  I  knew  that 
your  father  never  was  pleased  to  be  told  about  busi- 
ness ;  and,  I  thought  to  myself,  it  was  not  to  be 
expected  that  his  young  daughter,  who  had  made  a 
grand  marriage  way  off  in  a  foreign  country,  would 
tolerate  musty  talk  about  figures.  Your  father, 
Mr.  Percy,  Miss  Florence,  always  wrote  to  me: 
'  Do  not  annoy  me  with  explanations,  Long ;  I  know 
you  are  all  right.  Send  me  what  money  you  have, 
and  say  no  more  about  it.' " 


86  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

This  was  so  like  her  father,  who  wished  to  spend 
money  freely,  but  thought  it  degrading  to  earn  a 
dollar,  that  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  felt  it  must  be  true, 
and  she  replied  with  a  sad  smile :  "  I  doubt  not, 
Mr.  Long,  but  that  you  have  been  more  faithful  to 
our  interests  than  we  have  ourselves  been,  and  I 
thank  you.  The  past  is  indeed  irrevocable;  we 
will  not  pause  to  consider  it.  What  is  to  be  done 
to  relieve  our  embarrassments  ? " 

Mr.  Long  was  an  honest  man,  although  very  slow, 
and  not  what  is  called  sharp  in  business.  His 
upright  dealing  had  preserved  the  estate  from  abso- 
lute ruin,  but  his  moderate  capacity,  had  not  been 
able  to  cope  with  the  new  elements  of  disintegra- 
tion. If  his  ideas  were  not  brilliant,  they  were,  to 
say  the  least,  sensible.  He  was  greatly  pleased  at 
the  common-sense  view  of  the  situation  taken  by 
the  young  mistress  of  Carondale. 

"The  papers  relating  to  this  claim  are  in  the 
hands  of  able  counsel  in  Washington,  Miss  Flor- 
ence ;  but  without  any  one  directly  interested 
being  there  to  push  the  claim,  it  is  doubtful  if  it 
ever  passes  through  Congress.  I  advise,  decidedly, 
that  you  should  at  once  go  on  yourself,  and  take 
the  affair  personally  in  charge." 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  AND  MR.  IGNOTUS.     87 

The  result  of  one  night's  deliberation  over  this 
advice  of  Mr.  Long  was  that  Marie  was  ordered  to 
pack  whatever  luggage  was  needed ;  and  the  first 
week  in  December  found  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  Percy, 
and  Marie  duly  installed  in  a  suite  of  rooms  of  one 
of  the  best  West  End  hotels  in  Washington. 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  was  now  fully  aware  of  the 
importance  of  a  successful  prosecution  of  this 
claim.  She  had  been  reared  in  luxury,  as  we  have 
seen,  and  her  tastes  and  habits  involved  the  con- 
stant expenditure  of  more  money  than  it  was  proba- 
ble she  would  in  future  be  likely  to  command.  She 
was  aroused  to  prompt  action.  Her  first  care  was 
to  examine  a  package  of  letters  of  introduction, 
which  had  been  tendered  her  by  Americans  abroad, 
as  well  as  by  some  friends  of  M.  De  Beaulieu,  to 
various  diplomats  near  the  United  States. 

Desirous  to  lose  no  time,  the  letters  first  sent 
were  to  several  members  of  Congress  whom  she 
hoped  to  interest  in  her  case.  Mr.  Long  had  told 
her  that  the  claim  must  pass  through  Congress, 
and  become  a  law,  before  she  could  be  paid.  Now 
all  this,  to  her  inexperience,  seemed  a  very  easy 
thing  to  do.  "My  claim  is  just,"  thought  she; 
"  when  it  is  presented,  it  will  be  paid  ;  Voila  tout1.' 


88  A  WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Now  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had  all  the  tact  of  a 
woman  of  the  world ;  and  she  planned  her  move- 
ments as  an  able  general  plans  a  successful  cam- 
paign. Her  first  card  was  sent  to  the  member 
representing  the  district  in  Mississippi  where  the 
indebtedness  to  the  government  had  been  con- 
tracted. Mr.  Long  had  given  her  a  letter  to  this 
gentleman,  whom  he  had  called  a  mean  carpet- 
bagger in  speaking  of  him  to  Mme.  De  Beaulieu ; 
but  he  had  at  the  same  time  impressed  upon  her 
mind  the  fact  that  she  could  not  succeed  without 
his  assistance. 

Finding  upon  inquiry  that  the  Honorable  Phineas 
Ignotus  and  his  wife  were  established  at  the  same 
hotel  with  herself,  she  deemed  this  a  fortunate  cir- 
cumstance; but,  in  so  thinking,  she  had  no  just  idea 
of  the  type  of  the  man  or  woman  whom  these 
people  represented.  They  were,  with  others  of 
similar  calibre,  to  be  new  revelations  to  her. 

Phineas  Ignotus  had  in  early  life  been  a  travelling 
clock-pedler  in  Connecticut ;  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  he  had  the  astuteness  to  perceive  that  he 
would  have  great  chances  of  success  opened  to  him 
in  the  South.  Collecting  therefore  whatever  money 
he  could  from  the  sale  of  his  clock  venture,  he  went 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  AND  MR.  IGNOTUS.     89 

to  Mississippi,  and  announced  himself  ready  to 
practise  law.  He  had  read  Blackstone  and  some 
of  the  collections  of  local  law,  and  managed  to  an- 
swer, or  evade,  the  learned  judge  who  examined  him 
and  admitted  him  to  practice. 

The  period  he  had  chosen  was  an  opportune  one 
for  an  enterprising  Northerner  of  his  class  to  go 
South.  He  had  pluck  and  vim,  and  was  not  easily 
abashed ;  while  he  was  quite  insensible  to,  because 
ignorant  of,  nice  society  distinctions.  It  was  not 
therefore  easy  to  snub  a  man  who  was  not  sensitive 
when  a  rebuke  was  given. 

The  close  of  the  war  found  the  leading  families 
of  the  South  sullen,  discontented  with  the  inevit- 
able new  status,  and  mourning  over  the  Lost  Cause. 
They  disdained  politics ;  and,  in  place  of  trying  to 
gain  political  control  of  the  seceded  States,  they 
held  aloof  in  stolid  contempt.  This  was,  perhaps, 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  in  view  of  the  violent  revul- 
sion of  all  their  cherished  hopes  and  feelings  ;  but 
it  was  senseless  and  unwise.  It  gave  the  opportu- 
nity to  strangers,  men  who  sought  the  South  as 
adventurers,  to  get  the  control  of  local  interests. 

Such  an  occasion  soon  presented  itself  to  Ignotus, 
who  caused  his  own  name  to  be  brought  forward 


QO  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

as  a  candidate  at  some  primary  district-meeting. 
The  nomination  to  Congress  was  received  with 
contemptuous  silence  by  the  native  Southern  men, 
who  might  have  defeated  it  by  a  little  energetic 
opposition  ;  and  so  quietly  did  the  election  proceed, 
that  perhaps  no  man  was  more  surprised  than  Igno- 
tus  himself,  when  he  discovered  that  the  prefix  to 
his  name  was  Hon  I 

In  writing  almost  his  first  letter  back  to  Connec- 
ticut, addressed  to  a  cobbler  who  had  helped  him 
in  his  early  venture,  he  said:  "Jim,  I  might  have 
gone  on  ticking  —  and  on  tick,  too,  for  that  matter 
—  forever  in  Connecticut,  and  fallen  like  a  dead 
weight  run  down  at  the  end,  had  I  staid  to  hum; 
but  here  brass  is  the  pendulum  that  makes  me 
swing.  I  'm  an  M.  C,  and  Honorable  to  boot." 

Before  going  on  to  Washington  he  married  a  rol- 
licking young  Southern  girl,  the  daughter  of  the 
widow  at  whose  house  he  had  boarded.  "  I  mean," 
he  said,  "  that  my  mother-in-law  shall  be  a  useful 
member  of  my  family." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MME.  FLORENCE  PERCY  DE  BEAULIEU  PRESENTS 
HER  CLAIM  BEFORE  CONGRESS. 

A  T  the  time  that  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  arrived  in 
Washington,  the  Honorable  Phineas  Ignotus 
was  serving  a  second  term  in  Congress,  and  his  low 
instinct  of  gain  had  been  aroused  by  a  variety  of 
circumstances.  He  had  in  fact  learned  much  that 
an  honorable  man  would  never  know,  and  on  the 
other  hand  learned  nothing  that  a  true  statesman 
ought  to  know.  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had  sent  her 
card  to  him  with  the  letter  of  introduction,  and  also 
to  several  other  members  of  Congress,  as  we  have 
previously  stated,  wishing  to  present  her  claim 
against  the  United  States  at  as  early  a  day  as 
possible. 

It  was  ten  o'clock,  and  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had 
just  taken  the  cup  of  coffee  which  preceded  her 
breakfast  at  noon,  when  the  card  of  Mr.  Ignotus 


92  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

was  sent  up.  One  glance  at  the  pasteboard  pre- 
sentment of  the  man  satisfied  her  that  he  was  a 
vulgarian  ;  for  the  style  of  card  one  uses  is,  to  the 
eye  of  the  initiated,  an  open  confession. 

There  entered  a  tall,  thin  figure,  slab-sided  and 
narrow-chested,  sallow  and  lantern- jawed,  with 
small,  restless,  pale-gray  eyes,  carroty  hair,  and 
compressed  lips.  A  high-pitched  nasal  voice,  sham- 
bling gait,  and  ill-fitting  clothes  completed  the 
picture  of  the  Honorable  Phineas  Ignotus,  as  he 
entered  Mrae.  De  Beaulieu's  parlor. 

At  once  extending  an  ungloved  hand,  which  was 
neither  shapely  nor  cleanly,  with  an  offensive  famil- 
iarity of  manner  intended  to  be  friendly,  he  said : 
"  Good-morning,  marm  ;  I  am  pleased  to  make 
your  acquaintance.  I  believe  you  are  a  constituent 
of  mine." 

Now  this  word  constituent,  which  seemed  to  in- 
volve some  relation  between  this  man  and  herself, 
rather  puzzled  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  but  she  was  too 
well-bred  to  ask  direct  questions.  She  therefore 
only  replied  :  "  I  am  happy  to  meet  you,  sir,  and  I 
am  desirous  to  consult  with  you  on  a  matter  of* 
business  of  great  importance  to  myself." 

The  Honorable  at  once  assumed  a  rather  distant 


MME.  DE  BEAU  LIE  U'S   CLAIM.  93 

air  of  would-be  importance,  saying :  "  I  am  ready 
to  hear  what  you  have  to  say,  marm,  although 
maybe  I  can  guess  as  well  as  another  what  you 
want ;  but  please  be  quick,  marm,  and  as  spry  as 
you  can,  for  you  see  my  valuable  time  rather  belongs 
to  my  country." 

It  required  the  superb  self-control  of  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu  to  suppress  a  rising  emotion  of  anger. 
She  whom  men  flattered,  —  this  courted  woman  of 
fashion,  —  to  be  thus  curtly  spoken  to  by  this  ill- 
favored  creature,  whom  she  would  not  have  hired  as 
a  lackey !  But,  instantly  commanding  herself,  she 
replied  with  measured  courtesy :  "  I  doubt  not,  sir, 
the  value  of  your  time,  and  a  direct  statement  is 
certainly  the  best.  I  am  here  to  press  before  Con- 
gress a  claim  of  the  estate  of  my  father,  Mr.  War- 
field  Percy,  against  the  government." 

The  Honorable  thereupon,  clearing  his  throat 
with  a  long  a — hem,  said:  "And  pray,  marm,  is 
this  your  first  experience  in  this  sort  of  business  ?" 

At  this  strange  question  the  lustrous,  dark  eyes 
flashed,  and  the  oval,  pale  face  flushed  with  evident 
displeasure,  as  she  coldly  answered  :  "  I  confess,  sir, 
I  do  not  understand  you." 

"  No  offence  meant,"  said  Ignotus  with  provoking 


94  A    WASHINGTON    WINTER. 

coolness  ;  "  but  I  am  a  plain  servant  of  the  people, 
and  business  is  business.  I  thought  perhaps  you 
were  a  claim-agent,  but  I  see  it  is  a  private  job  of 
your  own.  I  would  like  to  know  if  your  claim  is  — 
ahem  !  —  speculative,  as  one  may  say ;  or  is  it  a 
downright  transaction  ? " 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  involuntarily  arose,  and  in 
frigid  tone  replied :  "  It  is  impossible  for  me,  sir, 
to  catch  your  meaning." 

"  Dare  say,  dare  say,"  chuckled  Ignotus.  "  What 
I  mean  is  this :  Do  you  propose,  marm,  to  go  into 
Congress  with  a  lobby,  or  on  the  plain  merits  of 
your  case  ? " 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  was  really  puzzled  by  this 
question,  not  having  the  remotest  idea  what  a 
lobby  meant;  and  she  replied  with  calm  dignity: 
"  The  claim  I  wish  to  present,  sir,  is  just,  and  only 
needs  to  be  explained  to  be  understood,  and  proofs 
can  be  given  of  every  statement." 

"  In  that  case,  marm,"  said  Ignotus,  "I  may  as 
well  tell  you  first  as  last,  that  I  am  sorry  for  you. 
I  would  help  you  if  I  could  ;  but  your  case  stands 
no  chance,  not  even  the  ghost  of  a  chance,"  added 
he  with  emphasis. 

"  What  do  I  hear  ? "  exclaimed  Mme.  De  Beau- 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU'S   CLAIM.  95 

lieu  in  genuine  amazement !  "  Can  it  be  possible 
that  the  Congress  of  this  great  Republic  should 
reject  an  honest  debt,  knowing  it  to  be  fairly  due  ? 
Oh  no,  it  cannot  be !  " 

"  Keep  cool,  marm,  and  take  things  easy,"  said 
Ignotus,  impressed  by  her  earnestness  ;  "  I  will 
give  you  enough  of  my  valuable  time  to  explain, 
although  my  Committee  meets  at  eleven,  and  I 
hain't  no  time  for  wasting.  You  see  it  '11  stand 
this  way.  Your  claim  hain't  no  public  measure  for 
political  issues  to  be  fought  over,  and  it  doesn't 
concern  anybody  in  particular  but  you  yourself. 
Now  everybody  who  comes  to  Congress  represents 
interests.  And  how  can  you  look  for  anybody  to 
leave  their  represented  interests,  and  worry  about 
your  private  interest,  —  unless — ahem!  —  unless, 
indeed,  inducements  are  offered  that  make  it  their 
interest  as  well  as  your  interest.  Your  claim 
against  the  nation  may  be  as  good  as  a  regular 
title-deed  without  a  flaw,  but  who 's  going  to  stop 
to  examine  the  deed  on  its  merits  ?  Your  chance 
is  slim." 

"  I  must  beg  you  to  proceed,"  said  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu,  as  the  man  paused,  much  wondering  if  he 
were  knave  or  fool. 


96  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

"  Certainly,  marm,"  said  Ignotus,  encouraged  at 
what  he  construed  as  approval.  "  There  is  but  one 
remedy  for  the  misfortune  of  a  plain  claim.  Raise 
a  lobby !  Join  yourself  to  a  corporation  ! " 

There  ensued  silence.  Ignotus  again  spoke. 
"  What,  marm,  is  the  extent  of  your  claim  ? " 

"  I  am  assured,"  replied  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  "  that 
supplies  to  the  extent  of  five  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars were  furnished  General  Grant's  army  before 
Vicksburg,  freely  furnished  from  my  father's  plan- 
tations ;  and  this  at  a  time  when  others  destroyed 
or  hid  away  their  supplies,  so  that  it  meant  every- 
thing to  the  United  States  Army.  We  hold  re- 
ceipts and  papers  signed  by  General  Grant.  What 
could  be  more  plain  ? "  asked  the  lady. 

"  That  is  just  the  trouble,"  said  Ignotus.  "  Sup- 
pose now  that  your  accounts  were  a  little  mixed, 
and  had  to  be  fixed  up !  A  lobby  might  be  made 
to  go  in  for  a  cool  million ;  and  you  could  then  have 
enough,  and  over  and  above  for  a  handsome  divide 
all  round.  In  such  cases,  legislation  progresses. 
However,  let  me  see  your  papers  to-morrow.  They 
may  not  be  past  doctoring,  in  which  case  the 
wheels  of  legislation  can  be  greased.  Good-morn- 
ing, marm !  My  time  belongs  to  my  country. 


MME.   DE  BEAU  LIEU  >S   CLAIM.  97 

Mum 's  the  word  for  a  servant  of  the  people,"  said 
he ;  and  placing  his  hand  upon  his  mouth  as  if  to 
indicate  silence,  he  shuffled  out. 

As  the  door  closed,  Mme.  De  Beaulieu's  self- 
control  was  at  an  end.  Throwing  herself  back 
on  the  sofa,  livid  with  rage,  she  sobbed  hysterically  : 
"  Oh,  the  beast !  Oh,  the  beast ! ! " 

"  Mamma,  ma  belle,"  whispered  little  Percy,  who 
flew  to  her  side  from  the  adjoining  room  ;  "  shall 
I  slap  the  naughty  man  ?  Marie,  bring  cologne  to 
my  mamma ! " 

Clasping  the  boy  to  her  heart  with  the  tragic  air 
of  a  Frenchwoman  in  a  stage  scene,  she  exclaimed : 
"  Percy,  we  have  fallen  into  the  den  of  Forty 
Thieves,  my  boy." 

The  child  began  to  cry.  This  recalled  his 
mother  to  the  ludicrous  side  of  the  interview ;  so 
with  quick  transition  she  began  to  laugh,  and  imi- 
tate the  nasal  twang  of  Ignotus  :  "  Good-mornin' 
m-a-r-m  ! —  m-u-m  's  the  word  ! "  covering  her  mouth 
with  the  tiny  jewelled  hand.  Whereat  the  little 
fellow,  catching  his  mamma's  mood,  laughed 
merrily. 

"Ah,  Percy,  there  is  one  thing  yet  to  know, — 
what  is  a  lobby  f 

7 


98  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door, 
and  the  card  was  handed  her  of  Mr.  Silvester  Span- 
gler.  The  burly  frame  of  the  Senator  was  but  ill 
adapted  to  the  ostentatious  display  of  dress,  and 
the  pompous  vanity  that  marked  every  movement. 
A  coarse  profusion  of  jewelry  heightened  the  clumsy 
effect,  for  he  wore  a  huge  gold  fob-chain,  from  which 
various  ornaments  depended ;  also  a  signet-ring, 
and  solitaire-diamond  cuff-buttons  and  studs.  A 
nascent  bang  of  coarse  black  hair,  bushy  side-whis- 
kers, carefully  pointed  nails,  and  an  English  style 
of  dress  proclaimed  a  would-be  man  of  fashion ; 
but  his  deep,  lobster-tinted  complexion,  puffed 
cheeks,  congested  eyes,  and  bovine  neck  declared 
the  indulgence  of  gross  habits. 

As  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  advanced  with  easy  grace 
to  meet  him,  she  presented  a  singularly  handsome 
appearance.  A  shade  of  hauteur  added  impressive- 
ness  to  the  splendid  carriage  of  a  voluptuous  person; 
and  her  raven-black  tresses,  somewhat  disarranged 
by  the  slightly  hysterical  scene  of  the  preceding 
moments,  gave  an  added  grace  to  her  alluring,  dark 
eyes.  A  perfectly  close-fitting  white  cashmere 
robe,  only  relieved  by  a  simple  nazud  of  black  vel- 
vet at  the  throat,  fell  in  pliant  folds  around  her. 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU  fS   CLAIM.  99 

"  Mr.  Senator  Spangler,"  said  she  with  slow  pre- 
cision, and  extending  her  taper,  jewelled  fingers, 
"  no  introduction  is  needed  of  a  man  whose  name 
is  so  well  known  to  the  country." 

With  what  perfect  tact  had  this  beautiful  belle 
instantly  divined  the  pabulum  of  flattery  upon  which 
his  consummate  egotism  must  be  fed  !  The  poor  fly 
fell  without  a  gasp  into  the  finesse  of  the  spider's 
web,  completely  captivated  by  the  magnetic  charms 
to  which  he  succumbed.  He  bowed  with  an  awk- 
ward grimace,  and  would  have  retained  the  proffered 
hand,  which  was  instantly  but  gently  withdrawn. 

She  again  spoke,  and  in  a  winning  tone  said, 
"Pray  be  seated."  Had  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  at 
that  moment  asked  Senator  Spangler  to  kiss  the 
Koran,  and  swear  that  he  beheld  a  houri,  he  would 
have  done  so.  It  was  the  first  decided  vertigo  of 
woman's  influence  he  had  ever  experienced. 

"You  are  kind,  Mr.  Senator,  very  kind,  to  make 
so  prompt  a  recognition  of  the  letter  I  brought  you. 
The  friend  who  gave  it  me  for  you  has  doubtless 
stated  the  object  of  my  visit  to  Washington." 

The  Senator  replied :  "  You  are  quite  correct, 
Mrs.  De  Beaulieu.  My  influence  is  requested  by 
Mr.  Parr  in  behalf  of  a  claim  now  pending  before 


100  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Congress,  which,  as  I  understand,  you  have  come 
here  to  press  forward." 

"And  I  am  informed,  Mr.  Senator,  that  with  the 
aid  of  your  influence  I  must  succeed.  When  you 
will  be  so  good  as  to  examine  my  papers,  you  will 
see,  Mr.  Senator,  that  no  claim  was  ever  more  just. 
The  supplies  furnished  from  the  plantations  of  my 
father,  Mr.  Warfield  Percy,  may  be  said,  at  the  time 
they  were  procured,  to  have  saved  the  army  of 
General  Grant." 

-  Senator  Spangler  had  been  gazing  very  fixedly 
upon  the  fair  claimant,  who  pleaded  her  cause  so 
well,  and  felt  quite  unwilling,  in  case  her  claim  ever 
was  allowed,  that  any  circumstance  connected  with 
success  should  have  any  weight,  outside  of  her  ap- 
preciation of  his  personal  efforts  in  her  behalf. 
With  this  mean  motive  of  depreciating  all  aid  other 
than  his  own,  he  answered  in  a  stilted  voice :  "  The 
fact  that  supplies  were  furnished  the  army  of  Gene- 
ral Grant  would  not  be  considered  as  of  any  mo- 
ment, because  it  can  readily  be  imagined  that  the 
Union  Army  would  have  compelled  any  assistance 
asked  for  and  denied." 

"  But,  sir,"  said  the  lady,  somewhat  astounded  at 
this  sort  of  logic,  "as  a  matter  of  fact,  these  supplies 
were  neither  procurable  nor  procured  elsewhere." 


MME.   DE  BEAULIEU'S  CLAIM.          IOI 

"  A  merely  fortuitous  circumstance,  quite  without 
weight,"  was  the  annoying  response. 

There  was  a  momentary  silence,  when  the  Sena- 
tor resumed,  giving  very  unpleasant  emphasis  to 
his  words  by  his  broad  stare  of  admiration :  "  But 
great  weight  must  be  attached  to  the  wishes  of  so 
fair  a  lady  —  so  very  fair.  I  may  say  that,  enlisted 
for  you,  I  may  be  able  to  organize  a  lobby  that  must 
succeed." 

The  tone  and  manner  were  very  displeasing  to 
so  proud  a  woman,  but  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  was  ac- 
customed to  receive  and  encourage  much  adulation ; 
and  here  again  she  was  confronted  with  that  un- 
known agent,  a  lobby.  So,  as  if  taking  for  granted 
the  complimentary  remarks  about  herself,  she 
merely  said  :  "  You  will  perceive,  Mr.  Senator,  that 
I  am  very  ignorant,  when  I  ask  you  what  a  lobby 
means." 

"  He,  he,"  chuckled  Spangler ;  "  it  means  a  close 
corporation,  —  very  close  indeed  ! " 

She  remembered  that  Ignotus  had  also  said  a 
corporation.  Now  what  was  a  corporation,  and  how 
could  one  be  made  out  of  her  claim  ?  It  was  a  rid- 
dle indeed.  She  was  aroused  from  the  momentary 
revery  by  the  same  unrefined  voice,  adding  famil- 


102  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

iarly :  "  I  am  a  busy  man  to-day,  Mrs.  Beaulieu  ; 
but  I  shall  not  forget  you,  and  I  shall  certainly  find 
time  to  repeat  my  visit  at  no  distant  day."  There- 
upon seizing  her  hand,  with  the  rudeness  of  his 
coarse  manners,  he  said  good-morning,  and 
departed. 

As  the  door  closed  upon  his  retreating  form,  a 
delicate  little  clenched  fist  saluted  the  air  in  the 
direction  of  his  retreat,  —  of  which  unamiable  ges- 
ture he  was  all-unconscious  as  he  said  to  himself : 
"  She  is  the  very  Ox-eyed  Juno  of  my  once  hated 
Virgil.  I  always  thought  that  the  old  heathen  lied  ; 
but  I  now  see  that  such  beings  did  exist."  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu  was  so  accustomed  to  the  gallant 
speeches  of  men  in  Europe,  which  meant  nothing 
more  than  the  conventional  compliments  of  the 
drawing-room,  that,  except  for  the  coarseness  of  its 
tone  and  manner,  she  had  paid  no  attention  to  the 
flattery  of  this  disagreeable  man.  Had  it  crossed 
her  mind  at  that  time  that  she  had  made  any 
serious  impression  on  the  fancy  of  this  creature, 
she  would  have  been  deeply  incensed  ;  yet  there 
was  in  her  soul  a  presaging  sense  of  gathering 
clouds,  even  as  the  sultry  air  indicates  the  coming 
tempest  in  the  near  future. 


MME.   DE  BEAULIEU'S   CLAIM.          103 

"  What  peculiar  men  these  members  of  Congress 
are  !  I  wonder  if  they  are  all  alike  ? "  said  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu;  and,  as  if  in  response  to  the  query, 
another  card  was  handed  her.  It  was  that  of 
Mr.  Richard  Roland,  of  Massachusetts. 

Senator  Roland  was  remarkable  for  great  dignity 
of  presence.  It  was  surprising  what  a  mastery  over 
men,  this  man  of  slight  frame,  delicate,  nervous 
organization,  pale  countenance,  and  quiet  manners 
had  obtained.  His  voice  had  no  great  compass, 
but  in  its  use  was  a  distinctness  of  enunciation 
and  an  elegance  of  diction  that  at  once  captivated 
attention.  His  hair,  which  had  been  in  youth  a 
chestnut-brown,  was  assuming  the  shade  so  aptly 
called  iron-gray,  and  suggested  the  wisdom  of 
experience  deemed  necessary  for  a  statesman  to 
possess.  Coming  from  Massachusetts,  of  course 
he  wore  spectacles  ;  and  one  had  a  vague  suspicion 
that  he  might  have,  concealed  about  him,  a  chosen 
book  or  two,  wherewith  to  refresh  his  mind  at  odd 
moments.  But  if  he  had  the  air  of  a  bibliographer, 
it  was  so  happily  blended  with  the  polished  man- 
ners of  the  best  society,  that  his  scholarly  tastes 
were  never  obtrusive.  His  dark-blue  eyes  had 
a  penetrating  power,  at  once  indicative  of  depth 


104  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

of  emotion  and  great  clearness  of  intellectual 
perception. 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  recognized  in  him  a  man  of 
high-breeding,  as  he  bowed,  upon  addressing  her, 
without  extending  his  hand.  "  He  is  the  only  man 
I  have  met  in  America,"  thought  the  lady,  "  who 
has  not,  upon  our  first  meeting,  oppressed  me  with 
the  familiarity  of  hand-shaking." 

"  I  am  happy,  madam,"  said  Senator  Roland,  "  to 
meet  you ;  and  I  am  indebted  to  my  friend  Mr. 
Otis  for  the  favor  of  his  letter  of  introduction." 

"  Kindly  be  seated,"  replied  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  ; 
"  I  am  also  under  obligations  to  Mr.  Otis.  We  can- 
not be  strangers,  Mr.  Senator,  in  a  literal  sense,  as 
I  believe  we  have  many  friends  in  common  —  Bos- 
tonians  whom  I  have  met  abroad." 

"It  gives  me  an  added  pleasure  to  greet  you  as  a 
friend,"  said  the  Senator.  "  Americans  are  of  cos- 
mopolitan tastes,  and  so  very  restless  as  often  to 
wander  over  the  world  continuously.  They  forget 
indeed,  in  the  love  of  travel,  that  our  own  country 
is  in  many  respects  the  culmination  of  the  wisdom 
and  the  experiments  of  all  other  lands." 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Madame,  "  if  as  yet  I  have 
not  learned  to  adopt  your  views.  May  I  venture 
to  speak  frankly  ? " 


MME.  DE  BEAULIEU'S  CLAIM.          IO$ 

"If  indeed  you  will  so  honor  me,"  said  the 
Senator,  slightly  bowing. 

"I  have  come  to  Washington,  Mr.  Senator,"  said 
Madame,  "  in  the  hope  of  receiving  from  the 
United  States  a  just  recognition  of  services  ren- 
dered by  my  father's  estate  to  the  country  in  its 
hour  of  greatest  need." 

"  I  am  aware,  madam,"  replied  the  Senator,  "  of 
the  nature  of  your  claim,  as  the  papers  connected 
with  it  were  placed  last  winter  before  the  commit- 
tee of  which  I  am  chairman.  I  have  somewhat 
given  them  my  attention,  and  am  happy  to  be 
able  to  say  that  your  cause  is  just,  and  merits  a 
speedy  settlement.  But  I  fear  I  have  interrupted 
you." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir,"  said  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  de- 
lighted at  last  to  be  so  well  received.  "  I  can 
scarcely  express  to  you  the  cheering  effects  of  your 
kind  words  of  encouragement.  I  rather  fear  that  I 
was  about  to  say  too  much.  It  was  this :  I  have 
already  seen  Mr.  Ignotus,  of  the  House,  who  repre- 
sents the  district  where  my  property  interests  are  ; 
and  I  have  also  been  called  upon  by  Senator  Span- 
gler.  I  cannot  but  admit  to  you,  Senator  Roland, 
for  I  feel  that  you  will  understand  me,  that  in  meet- 


106  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

ing  these  gentlemen,  I  was  not  impressed  with  the 
calibre  of  the  character  of  our  public  men." 

"  I  perfectly  comprehend  the  force  of  your  strict- 
ures," replied  Mr.  Roland.  "These  men  do  not 
represent  the  true  intelligence  of  the  country. 
They  are  rather  an  abnormal  outgrowth  of  some 
of  the  peculiar  conditions  into  which  we  drifted 
after  the  late  terrible  war.  I  may  say,  by  way  of 
illustration,  that  an  excrescence  on  a  noble  oak  does 
not  seriously  impair  its  vitality  or  arrest  its  growth, 
although  it  mars  the  beauty  of  its  form." 

"  I  am  consoled  to  hear  your  opinions,"  said 
the  lady,  "and  I  trust  I  shall  modify  my  own 
accordingly." 

"  I  beg  you  to  excuse  this  early  call,"  said  the 
Senator.  "  My  engagements  to-day  are  continuous, 
and  I  wished  to  honor  your  letter  at  once." 

"  It  will  always  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  you, 
Mr.  Senator,"  said  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  "whenever 
the  demands  upon  your  time  will  permit." 

At  this  juncture  a  card  was  handed  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu  : 


MME.   DE  BEAULIEU'S  CLAIM.          IO/ 

She  read  it  aloud,  and  turning  to  Senator  Roland 
enquired  :  "  Is  this  the  card  of  General  Garfield  ? " 

"  It  is,"  said  Senator  Roland.  "  He  is  considered 
one  of  the  Republican  leaders  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, and  as  an  orator  has  no  superior  in 
that  body.  Good-morning,  madam." 

"  She  is  an  intelligent  woman,"  thought  Senator 
Roland,  "  and  I  must  ask  my  friend  Mrs.  Wilton  to 
call  upon  her." 

General  Garfield  was  at  that  time  rapidly  ascend- 
ing towards  the  splendid  zenith  which  he  ail-too 
soon  attained.  His  auspicious  star  then  prevailed, 
and  as  yet  no  shadow  of  calamity  was  cast  athwart 
his  brilliant  career.  He  was  an  excellent  repre- 
sentative of  that  expansiveness  of  our  institutions 
which  fosters  inherent  greatness,  and  allows  native 
merit  to  advance  from  low  estate  with  giant  strides. 
In  his  case,  force  of  will  and  immense  bodily  vitality 
were  allied  with  scholarly  attainments,  silver-tongued 
eloquence,  and  eager  ambition.  He  had,  in  its  per- 
fection, the  mens  sana  in  corpore  sano.  He  was 
susceptible  to  the  pleasure  to  be  derived  from  the 
society  of  cultivated  women,  and  his  ever  affable 
manner  became  on  such  occasions  debonair  and 
charming.  He  did  not  have  the  punctilious  cour- 


108  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

tesy  nor  the  nice  refinements  natural  to  Senator 
Roland,  and  inherited  by  him  from  courtly  ancestry 
through  several  generations  ;  but  Garfield  possessed 
a  delightful  effusiveness  that  placed  him  en  rapport 
with  every  society  that  came  within  the  Mael- 
strom of  his  magnetism.  His  manly  bearing,  mag- 
nificent and  well-poised  head,  and,  above  all,  the 
irresistible  smile,  captivated  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  who 
cordially  returned  the  grasp  of  his  extended  hand, 
without  a  thought  as  to  the  strict  conventionality 
of  his  address.  He  was  Garfield,  and  glad  to  see 
her ;  and  she  was,  in  spite  of  herself,  glad  to  wel- 
come him.  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had  brought  him  a 
letter  of  introduction  from  the  American  Minister 
near  Paris  ;  and  so  the  General  had  various  ques- 
tions, showing  kindly  regard,  to  ask  about  that 
gentleman.  At  the  end  of  five  minutes  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu  found  herself  chatting  as  easily  as 
with  an  old  acquaintance. 

"  Do  you  know,  General  Garfield,  that  I  am  to  be 
dreaded,  because  I  have  a  claim  before  Congress  ? " 
she  presently-  asked. 

"  You  are  certainly  in  that  case  to  be  pitied," 
said  Garfield  laughing.  "  What  can  I  do  to  serve 
you?" 


MME.   DE  BEAULIEITS  CLAIM.  109 

"Much,  indeed  everything,  General,  as  in  fact 
you  best  know,"  answered  she.  "My  case  is  just, 
and  has  already  gone  before  Senator  Roland's  com- 
mittee, and  he  says  it  is  all  clear." 

"  If  my  friend  Roland  endorses  it,  you  are  fortu- 
nate," said  Garfield.  "  I  doubt  not,  in  such  a  case, 
that  all  is  right,  and  I  am  heartily  glad  of  it."  • 

"  Then  it  is,  after  all,  an  easy  matter  ?  "  asked 
Mme.  De  Beaulieu. 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Garfield.  "  I  do  not  wish 
to  discourage  you,  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  but  I  beg 
you  not  to  be  too  sanguine." 

"  Why  not,  General  ? " 

"  Simply,  madam,  because  yours  is  a  private  claim, 
and  all  personal  interests  must  give  way  to  the  vast 
pressure  of  public  measures  to  be  considered. 
This,  too,  is  a  short  session,  which  is  not  in  your 
favor.  Then  again,  the  laws  regulating  legislation 
hem  in  a  private  claim  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
least  factious  opposition  may  be  brought  to  defeat 
the  ends  of  justice.  I  shall  assuredly  do  all  that  I 
can  to  assist  Roland,  for  whose  opinion  I  have  great 
regard.  I  shall  also  wish  to  aid  you,  for  I  have 
deep  sympathy  for  those  Southerners  who  were 
loyal,  and  helped  us  when  we  needed  help.  But  to 


110  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

change  the  subject, —  have  you  met  my  friend,  Mrs. 
Wilton  ? " 

"I  have  not,"  said  Madame. 

"  You  must  know  her,  and  frequent  her  conversa- 
ziones. I  will  mention  your  arrival  to  her."  So 
saying,  with  a  friendly  shake  of  the  hand,  the 
genial  Garfield  departed. 

"  How  very  agreeable  he  is,"  soliloquized  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu,  "and  most  generous-hearted.  Well, 
I  have  had  a  singular  experience  this  morning ;  I 
have  met  two  vulgarians  and  two  gentlemen.  This 
American  Congress  seems  to  be  pretty  evenly 
divided!"  and  so,  indulging  in  a  quaint  little 
.laugh,  she  called  Percy  to  her  side. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   HOUSE-WARMING   OF   SENATOR   SPANGLER. 

A  WASHINGTON  season  may  be  said  to  com- 
mence on  New  Year's  Day,  and  to  terminate 
with  Ash  Wednesday.  This  interval  usually  includes 
about  two  months'  space  of  time,  in  which  a  series 
of  gayeties  engage  the  entire  attention  of  society 
people  ;  but  with  the  setting-in  of  Lent,  Catholics 
and  Episcopalians  withdraw  more  or  less  from  the 
world,  and  their  number  is  large  enough  to  exercise 
decided  influence  over  society  movements,  if  not  to 
control  them.  There  are,  in  addition,  votaries  of 
fashion,  to  whom  the  religious  observance  of  Lent 
is  a  matter  of  indifference,  but  who  become  so 
fatigued  by  the  previous  dissipation  as  to  require 
rest ;  while  there  are  still  others  who  desire  the 
temporary  pause  wherein  to  prepare  fresh  toilets, 
in  which  they  emerge  at  Easter,  like  butterflies 
from  the  chrysalis  state. 


112  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

The  social  columns  of  the  various  journals 
always  announce,  at  the  commencement  of  a 
season,  that  it  is  expected  to  be  brilliant ;  but  this 
winter,  many  circumstances  were  supposed  to  con- 
spire to  produce  exceptional  interest.  The  air  of 
the  political  world  was  full  of  stratagems ;  as  it  was 
the  winter  immediately  preceding  a  new  admin- 
istration, and  the  social  world  was  agitated  by 
heralded  novelties. 

In  former  days  the  habits  of  the  old  Washing- 
tonians  had  a  certain  dignified  simplicity.  The 
expenditure  of  money,  without  other  claims  to 
social  consideration,  made  but  slight  impression, 
except  to  render  the  possessor  unenviably  conspicu- 
ous. At  all  events,  money  was  not  an  open  sesame 
to  the  doors  of  the  best  families.  Merit,  or  inheri- 
ted respectability,  was  looked  upon  as  indispensa- 
ble ;  and  it  often  happened  that  the  highest  func- 
tionaries, and  people  of  leading  social  positions, 
lived  in  very  inconspicuous  houses,  whose  appoint- 
ments were  rather  remarkable  for  their  harmonious 
arrangement,  than  for  costly  display.  Certainly,  at 
no  time  previous  to  the  Civil  War  would  such  a 
common  man  as  Spangler,  no  matter  what  his 
parade  of  wealth,  have  received  any  social  recogni- 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      113 

tion  ;  nor  probably  could  such  a  man  have  been 
elected  to  fill  the  responsible  office  of  United  States 
Senator. 

It  is  true  that  the  House  of  Representatives  had 
not  always  been  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  its 
members ;  yet  when  boorish  men  were  sent  to 
Washington,  they  were  not  tolerated  or  received  in 
its  social  circles  ;  and  now  and  then,  when  they 
appeared  as  functionaries  of  the  government  at  the 
formal  dinners  of  the  President  or  his  Cabinet, 
their  gaucheries  formed  the  subject  of  amused  com- 
ment. Society  reporting  was  then  an  unknown 
occupation  ;  and  to  have  the  movements  and,  above 
all,  the  dresses  of  respectable  ladies  described  in 
the  public  journals  of  the  day,  would  have  been 
deemed  an  insufferable  liberty. 

On  the  other  hand,  dinner-table  talk  was  culti- 
vated as  an  art ;  and  the  jcux  d' esprit,  bon-mots, 
and  witticisms,  that  outvied  the  sparkle  of  the  cham- 
pagne, were  repeated  as  social  events.  Alas,  alas  ! 
Over  the  dreary  waste  of  tiresome  descriptions  of 
menus  and  dresses  that  flood  the  papers  of  the  day, 
one  seeks  in  vain  for  the  refreshment  of  intellectual 
conversation  or  flashing  wit.  No  one  asks  about 
—  no  one  writes  about  —  anything  but  the  common- 


114  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

place.  Would  it  not  be  a  charming  innovation,  and 
a  relief  to  the  dreadful  monotony,  if  we  could  have 
one,  just  one,  reporter  of  the  clever  things  that 
are  said  ?  —  not  set  dinner-speeches  written  to  be 
printed,  which  no  one  reads,  and  only  those  hear 
who  cannot  help  doing  so,  but  the  charming  origi- 
nalities. Are  these  forever  gone  ?  Is  the  Prome- 
thean fire  burnt  out,  never  more  to  be  rekindled  ? 

At  the  period  of  which  we  write,  already  the 
deteriorating  influence  of  war's  upheavals  pervaded 
society ;  and  the  effect  was  noticeable.  The  sea- 
son was  now  to  be  inaugurated  by  the  ball  of  Sena- 
tor Spangler,  and  people  began  to  inquire  who  were 
to  become  the  notable  and  noticeable  dramatis 
persona  of  the  scene.  Among  the  fair  women 
already  spoken  of  as  belles,  was  Mme.  De  Beau- 
lieu,  whose  beauty,  supposed  wealth,  and  elegance 
of  manners  attracted  much  attention  ;  the  lovely 
Amabel  Wilton  and  the  piquant  Stella  Stevens, 
both  debutantes,  were  much  admired  ;  while  Prince 
Nikolaus  Skybeloff,  some  young  titled  diplomats, 
Senator  Roland,  the  talented  and  influential  Clys- 
mic,  and  the  gifted  and  wealthy  Clarence  Meredith, 
formed  a  brilliant  constellation  of  stars  of  the  first 
magnitude.  Then  there  was  the  reputed  million-' 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      115 

naire,  Spangler,  who,  it  was  said,  intended  to  keep 
open  house,  but  of  whom  society  as  yet  knew^little 
or  nothing.  Nor  must  we  forget  M.  le  Vicomte 
De  La  Tour,  said  to  be  a  widower,  and  certainly 
an  accomplished  man  of  the  world  ;  and  the  Cheva- 
lier Pasquale  Benedetto,  the  new  Italian  Minister, 
who  was  very  eccentric  and  an  old  bachelor. 

The  second  of  January  had  been  bright  and 
beautiful,  perhaps  a  trifle  too  warm  for  a  winter's 
sun  ;  but  about  four  in  the  afternoon  a  northeast 
wind  sprang  up,  which  soon  increased  to  a  gale, 
bringing  clouds  that  rapidly  obscured  the  sky ;  and, 
as  night  set  in,  a  slight  snow  fell.  As  if  a  spirit  of 
caprice  prevailed,  the  silently  descending  snow  was 
soon  changed  into  a  heavy  continuous  rain,  which 
fell  in  freezing  icicles,  enveloping  every  object,  and 
making  the  streets  one  broad,  icy  glare  of  frozen 
snow  and  water.  By  ten  o'clock  it  seemed  as  if  all 
the  carriages  of  the  city  were  wending  their  way 
to  the  scene  of  the  night's  festivities,  the  new 
palatial  residence  of  Senator  Spangler.  Unfortu- 
nately the  police  had  not  been  notified  to  be  in 
attendance  ;  and  a  scene  of  indescribable  confusion 
and  even  danger  ensued,  such  as  has  not  unfre- 
quently  occurred  in  the  history  of  Washington  routs. 


Il6  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

The  Jehus  had  it  all  their  own  way,  struggling, 
cursing,  trying  to  pass  each  other,  running  into 
each  other  so  as  to  lock  the  wheels  of  their  car- 
riages, and  now  and  then  staving  in  panels  of 
splendid  equipages,  —  even  at  times  finding  all  pro- 
gress impeded.  Not  a  few  ladies,  superbly  attired, 
had  to  leave  their  carriages  a  square  from  the  fes- 
tive scene,  and  walk  to  the  house.  Half  the  fash- 
ionable world  had  colds  in  consequence  of  this 
terrible  experience  ;  some  fair  victims  never  indeed 
regained  good  health,  and  every  one  experienced 
more  or  less  discomfort. 

But  all  this  perplexity  bore  the  name  of  pleasure  ; 
and  those  who  remained  comfortably  in  cheerful 
homes  were  condoled  with,  because  they  did  not 
make  one  of  the  harassed  throng.  Oh,  deceitful 
and  deceiving  Pleasure  !  How  much  that  is  calami- 
tous takes  on  thy  semblance  !  The  blooming  bride 
is  greeted  by  the  world  with  paeans  of  rejoicing,  and 
crowned  with  fragrant  orange-bloom  ;  and  when 
with  broken  heart  her  fair  head  sinks  beneath  the 
waves  of  desolation,  the  same  \\orld  conducts  the 
bride  of  Death  to  her  dark  resting-place,  drawn 
by  chosen  white  steeds,  with  plumed  hearse,  and 
pillowed  upon  innumerous  sweet-breathing  flowers. 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      1 1/ 

Perchance  one  or  two  of  the  hundreds  who  sat 
for  an  hour  in  their  carriages  that  night  in  the 
cheerless  rain,  awaiting  their  turn,  may  have  had 
some  such  dismal  reflections,  —  soon  extinguished, 
however,  by  the  dazzling  glow  and  turmoil  of  the 
feast.  As  usual,  the  world  claimed  her  own  and 
held  her  own. 

By  eleven  o'clock  the  coup  d'ccil  was  very  splen- 
did, and  most  of  the  guests  had  arrived.  The 
ball-room  extended  the  entire  length  across  one 
end  of  the  house,  and  opened  into  a  fine  conserva- 
tory, where  a  translucent  fountain  fell  in  showery 
sprays  over  tropic  plants,  cooling  the  heated  air. 
The  inspiring  strains  of  music,  placed  in  a  gallery 
of  the  ball-room,  were  exhilarating  but  not  bruyant. 

Senator  and  Mrs.  Spangler  received  their  hun- 
dreds of  dear  friends,  standing  under  the  garlanded 
arch  of  the  celadon  and  gilded  central  drawing- 
room.  This  was  their  hour  of  triumph.  The 
world's  ovation  was  in  progress.  Catch  the  pris- 
matic rays  of  the  soap-bubble  ere  they  fall,  if  you 
can,  for  they  are  not  so  evanescent  as  the  world's 
acclaim.  To  the  spiritualized  sense,  the  hand- 
writing on  the  wall  was  there  affixed,  but  in  the 
mirage  none  could  read  it. 


Ii8  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

All  of  Washington  was  there.  Of  course  we 
except  the  President  and  his  wife ;  for  to  the 
President  alone  our  social  etiquette  accords  the 
right-royal  pre-eminence  and  special  distinction  of 
being  the  Amphitryon  of  the  nation.  He  is 
always  a  host  and  never  a  guest,  if  he  so  chooses 
to  possess  his  high  estate. 

The  toilet  of  Mrs.  Spangler  was  a  creation  of 
Worth,  and  had  been  ordered  for  this  occasion.  It 
was  of  peacock-blue  brocade,  heavily  embroidered 
in  gold.  But  the  poor  lady  looked  very  careworn, 
and  the  bright  flush  upon  her  hollow  cheeks  was 
one  of  exultation,  not  the  genuine  suffusion  of  hap- 
piness. The  intermingling  white  strands  of  hair 
told  how  heavily  many  burdens  oppressed  this 
childless,  lonely  woman.  At  first,  in  the  obscure 
toils  of  her  early  wedded  life,  she  had  been  more 
regarded  because  more  useful ;  but  now  her  mis- 
sion, so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  she  knew  to  be  at 
an  end  ;  for  he,  with  the  lion's  spring,  had  bounded 
far  ahead,  and  she  understood  him  to  be  just  what 
he  was.  She  was  heart-sick,  and  this  malady  is 
mortal. 

With  the  punctuality  of  country  manners,  the 
first  who  entered,  at  the  precise  moment  of  invita- 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      1 19 

tion,  were  the  Honorable  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ignotus. 
The  gentleman  —  in  a  frock-coat  of  rustic  cut, 
baggy  trousers,  white  kid  gloves,  and  black  silk 
necktie  — felt  fine,  if  he  did  not  look  so.  The  dress 
of  Mrs.  Ignotus  had  been  the  nine  days'  wonder  of 
Waterproof,  the  little  town  where  they  lived, —  being 
so  called,  because  always  partially  submerged.  The 
fashionable  dressmaker  of  Waterproof  expected  to 
achieve  a  national  reputation  in  the  admiration  the 
display  of  her  skill  must  excite.  The  dress  was  of 
terra-cotta-red,  slazy  silk ;  the  skirt  was  ruffled  to 
the  waist,  and  each  ruffle  edged  with  black  cotton 
lace.  "To  be  sure  it's  imitation,  marm,"  said  she, 
"  but  no  one  will  know  any  better."  The  corsage 
was  of  that  abominable  outline  called  half-low, 
and  the  sleeves  were  cut  short  just  above  the 
elbow ;  while  white  ruching  was  crowded  in  round 
the  neck  and  sleeves.  A  broad  pink-brocade  sash 
was  tied  in  a  bow  behind,  according  to  directions ; 
and  a  wreath  of  red,  white,  and  blue  roses  sur- 
mounted a  fabulous  erection  of  false  frizzled  hair. 
As  her  neck  was  long  and  thin,  this  garland,  with 
her  fluttering  sash,  gave  her  very  much  the  appear- 
ance of  a  liberty-pole.  Ignotus  had  grumbled  about 
the  cost  of  this  dress,  but  finally  compromised  with- 


120  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

out  a  lawsuit,  by  trading  off  a  barrel  of  bad  whiskey 
for  the  goods ;  but  he  was  now  in  splendid  humor, 
and  declared  frequently  that  evening,  as  he  strutted 
up  and  down  with  his  wife  plastered  to  his  arm, 
that  Mrs.  Ignotus  took  the  "  shine  off  all  creation." 
Upon  being  asked  how  he  was,  he  invariably 
answered  in  a  liberal  way,  and  with  a  majestic 
wave  of  the  hand  :  "Tip-top ! " 

It  was  near  midnight,  and  yet  Senator  Spangler 
awaited  with  eager  expectancy  the  arrival  of  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu.  At  last  there  was  the  slight  move- 
ment, the  buzz  of  comment,  that  usually  precedes 
the  entrance  of  any  person  of  special  distinction, 
and  a  deeper  red  spread  itself  over  the  face  of 
Spangler  as  he  advanced  to  welcome  the  long- 
looked-for  belle ;  and  in  the  momentary  excitement 
he  quite  forgot  to  present  her  to  his  wife,  a  favor 
at  once  requested  by  Mme.  De  Beaulieu.  Her 
stately  beauty  was  of  splendid  effect,  and  she 
delighted  in  those  strong  contrasts  which  height- 
ened the  symmetrical  grace  of  her  person,  and 
showed  to  best  advantage  her  faultless  complexion, 
liquid  black  eyes,  and  raven  hair.  She  wore  a 
lustrous  white  satin  dress  trainee,  the  tablier  out- 
lined with  embroidered  crimson  roses;  and  a 


THE   SP ANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      121 

wreath  of  the  same  flowers  encircled  the  exquisite 
contour  of  her  bust,  and  terminated  in  a  point  at 
the  waist.  A  superb  velvety  rose,  of  the  same 
dark  hue,  nestled  in  the  wavelets  of  her  hair,  held 
in  its  place  by  an  opal  butterfly.  Around  her 
graceful  throat  was  a  bandlet  of  crimson  velvet, 
from  which  depended  the  fateful  opal.  Her  ap- 
pearance was  greeted  by  a  suppressed  murmur, 
"  Who  is  she  ? "  "  Please  present  me  !  "  again  and 
again  repeated  ;  and  among  those  who  made  this 
request  was  the  Chevalier  Pasquale  Benedetto. 

For  the  rest  of  that  evening  Senator  Spangler 
was  in  a  dazed  state.  For  once  in  his  life  he  for- 
got himself  so  far  as  to  admire  another  person ; 
and  yet,  was  not  the  reflection  in  his  soul  Narcis- 
sus still  ?  for  was  he  not  still  consulting  his  own 
selfish  gratification  ?  It  was  the  same  law  of  ego 
that  governed  him,  taking  on  another  semblance. 

Of  course  the  assemblage  had  many  captivating 
women ;  among  whom  Mrs.  Wilton  presented  a 
very  distinguished  appearance.  Her  toilet  was  a 
trained  dress  of  violet  velvet,  and  she  wore  a  plume 
of  the  same  color,  and  amethysts.  She  had  the 
unusual  elegance  of  being  tall  and  also  graceful ; 
but  that  which  always  assured  her  the  most 


122  A  WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

marked  attention  was  her  exceeding  cleverness, 
and  the  rare  quickness  of  her  repartee. 

On  this  evening  she  matronized  her  daughter  and 
orphan  niece,  the  two  most  fascinating  debutantes  of 
the  season.  Amabel  was  of  too  delicate  a  type  to  be 
appreciated  amid  the  glitter  of  such  surroundings.' 
Her  girlish,  willowy,  and  svelte  figure  was  purely 
American,  and  can  rarely  be  seen  elsewhere  in  such 
perfection.  She  was  very  comely  in  her  simple 
dress  of  fine  white  muslin,  which  closed  around  her 
throat,  for  so  she  would  have  it  made.  This  pretty 
dress  was  trimmed  with  delicate  Valenciennes  lace, 
and  only  relieved  by  a  cluster  of  tea-roses  in  the 
corsage.  Her  rich  auburn  hair  was  folded  in  Gre- 
cian coils  close  against  the  noble  contour  of  her 
head,  and  held  by  a  thin  fillet  of  gold  in  its  place. 
At  her  throat  an  antique  cross,  set  in  pearls,  con- 
fined a  slight  band  of  black  velvet ;  and  her  deep 
violet-blue  eyes  and  modest  demeanor  were  of 
Madonna  loveliness.  She  was  almost  at  once  led 
to  the  ball-room  by  Prince  Nikolaus,  where  there 
w,as  one  who  only  looked  on  in  a  distrait,  unhappy 
way, — the  handsome  Clarence  Meredith,  who,  with 
his  wealth,  might  be  said  to  be  of  the  jcunesse  dorte 
of  New  York,  only  he  was  too  gifted  to  be  thus 
designated. 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      123 

Amabel's  cousin,  the  sprightly  Stella  Stevens, 
the  petite,  vivacious  brunette,  was  charmingly  at- 
tired in  a  delicate  gaze  de  chambery,  covered  with 
a  profusion  of  embroidered  moss-rosebuds,  distri- 
buted with  careless  grace,  as  if  they  had  fallen  upon 
her  in  showers  ;  while  streamlets  of  rose-colored 
ribbons,  and  a  restless  Brazilian  firefly  fluttering  in 
her  dark  hair,  gave  her  the  springing  lightness  of 
a  very  sylphid  queen.  So  at  least  thought  the  dis- 
criminating M.  le  Vicomte  De  La  Tour,  and  the 
still  more  fastidious  Mr.  Charles  Clysmic.  This 
celebrated  journalist,  who  controlled  so  many  minds, 
was  himself  in  danger  of  being  subdued  by  a  spell 
more  potent  than  even  his  ready  pen  could  wield. 
He  led  Stella  out  for  the  first  dance. 

Although  Mrs.  Wilton  had  entire  confidence  in 
the  intentions  of  these  radiant  girls,  she  was  quite 
too  kind  and  wise  to  leave  their  inexperience  to  the 
hap-hazard  chances  of  a  ball-room,  without  her  sur- 
veillance. She.  therefore  found  a  recessed  window, 
where  an  ottoman  gave  repose  and  space  enough 
for  pleasant  chat,  with  the  festive  dancers  in  full 
view. 

There  was  Roland,  and  also  Garfield,  standing 
near,  and  the  trio  found  much  for  curious  comment. 


124  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Presently,  however,  their  debonair  friend,  Commo- 
dore Leonidas  Reflex,  found  them  out. 

"I  am  surprised,"  said  the  Commodore,  greeting 
the  little  party  with  great  friendliness,  "to  find 
three  such  clever  people  quietly  stowed  away  in  a 
corner.  Why,  the  supper-room  is  open  ;  and  Sena- 
tor Spangler,  who  has  surely  lost  his  head,  has  for- 
gotten that  the  wife  of  the  Secretary  of  State  is 
here,  for  he  has  taken  the  beautiful  Mme.  De  Beau- 
lieu  to  the  table,  and  without  assigning  any  one  to 
Mrs.  Spangler.  But  what  can  one  expect  ? "  added 
he,  with  a  shrug  and  a  very  significant  look  of 
disgust. 

"And  the  supper-table,  Commodore?"  said  Mrs. 
Wilton  much  diverted,  and  gently  leading  him  in 
the  direction  of  his  tastes. 

"  Now  is  the  time  for  us  to  go  in  to  supper,  mad- 
am," resumed  he  ;  "  and  besides,  it  is  strange  to  see 
Senator  Spangler  so  infatuated  with  the  handsome 
French  widow." 

"  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  is  not  French,  Commodore," 
said  General  Garfield ,  "  she  is  a  Southern  lady." 

"Do  you  think,  General,"  said  the  irrepressible 
Commodore,  "that  Senator  Spangler  makes  the 
distinction  ?  But  come,  we  are  losing  time.  The 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      12$ 

moment  this  Virginia  Reel,  now  so  merrily  in  pro- 
gress, is  over,  we  shall  have  the  supper-room  filled 
from  the  ball-room." 

So  the  four,  yielding  to  the  earnestness  of  the 
Commodore,  started  for  the  supper-room.  But  at 
that  moment  the  hitherto  smooth  course  of  the  reel 
seemed  to  become  agitated  as  if  by  some  unex- 
pected disturbance,  and  various  lithe  dancers  were 
seen  flying  in  and  out  of  their  places  at  odd  times ; 
then  were  heard  little  shrieks  of  laughter,  and 
young  girls  shaking  their  fans  and  crying  out,  "O 
General ! " 

"  What  can  the  flutter  mean  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Wilton, 
who  was  somewhat  uneasy  for  Amabel  and  Stella. 

"  Just  nothing  at  all,"  said  the  Commodore  in  a 
snappish  way,  —  "  of  any  consequence  to  divert  us 
from  the  supper-table.  Don't  you  see,  it 's  only 
General  Sherman,  who  has  taken  a  hand  in  the  reel, 
and  is  cutting  an  old-fashioned  doilble  pigeon-wing, 
in  order  and  out  of  order,  and  insisting  on  leading 
out  the  pretty  girls,  and  they  are  all  in  a  titter  of 
amusement." 

"And  sure  enough,"  said  Senator  Roland,  "it  is 
original  and  also  inimitable.  The  hero  of  the  ball- 
room ! " 


126  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

At  that  moment  a  grave,  rather  stolid,  but  evi- 
dently amused  looker-on  stood  near,  but  so  very 
still  and  quiet  he  had  not  been  observed,  until  the 
merry  Stella,  whom  General  Sherman  had  just 
"turned,  out  of  turn,"  appealed  to  this  staid 
spectator. 

"  O  General  Grant,  what  shall  we  do  with  Gen- 
eral Sherman  ?  Look  at  the  confusion  he  makes  ! 
Please  take  him  in  charge." 

General  Grant,  thus  appealed  to,  only  answered 
very  sedately,  but  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye :  "  I 
can  do  nothing,  Miss  Stevens.  General  Sherman 
is  a  Democrat;  we  will  have  to  let  him  go." 

Every  one  laughed.  Mrs.  Wilton,  Senator  Ro- 
land, General  Garfield,  and  the  satisfied  Commo- 
dore passed  on  into  the  supper-room,  where  that 
gentleman  led  the  way  directly  to  the  punch-bowl. 

Here  a  scene  that  was  not  very  decorous  occur- 
red, for  which  "ye  ancient  mariner"  was  responsi- 
ble. Standing  near  was  that  very  Cabinet-officer 
whose  wife  had  that  very  morning  declared  such 
energetic  temperance  principles  for  herself  and 
family.  Now  the  Commodore  took  the  opportunity, 
when  Senator  Roland  and  General  Garfield  were 
closely  engaged  —  in  the  discussion  of  a  joint  plan, 


TEE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      I2/ 

in  which  the  Senate  and  the  House  were  to  act  in 
a  committee  of  conference,  of  which  these  gentle- 
men were  members  —  to  get  up  a  little  by-play  for 
the  amusement  of  Mrs.  Wilton,  whom  he  always 
desired  to  entertain.  He  therefore  began  to  expa- 
tiate upon  the  excellent  qualities  of  the  punch  to 
the  Secretary,  at  the  same  time  filling  some  glasses 
with  the  delectable  but  heady  compound. 

"  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Secretary,"  he  suggested, 
"  it  is  a  sure  preservative  against  cold,  pneumonia, 
and  fever.  There  is  no  headache  in  it,  and  it 
makes  a  man  'a  man  for  a'  that,'  as  Burns  so 
happily  sings  ; "  handing  a  glass  with  one  hand, 
while  he  tossed  off  a  bumper  with  the  other.  "  To 
sweethearts  and  wives,  as  we  old  sailors  say ; " 
toasted  he.  The  Secretary  wavered,  sniffed  the 
punch,  and  the  aroma  entered  his  brain.  It  was 
too  much  ;  and  virtue  lost  her  favored  stronghold, 
as  the  whilom  temperance  lecturer  swallowed  the 
liquid  at  one  draught,  re-echoing,  "  Sweethearts 
and  wives  to  you,  Commodore  !  " 

It  was  the  work  of  an  instant  to  refill  and  re- 
pledge  and  re-quaff. 

"Now  for  a  nightcap,"  said  the  Commodore, 
perfectly  enchanted  at  the  unexpected  success  of 


128  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

his  manoeuvre ;  and  the  third  bumper  was  raised 
to  the  now  ready  lips,  when  the  arm  of  the  recreant 
was  suddenly  but  firmly  grasped  by  no  less  a  per- 
sonage than  Mrs.  Secretary  herself. 

"  Fie,  fie,  sir, "  said  she. 

"  Let  me  alone,  Sarah,"  said  he  of  bibulous  taste, 
hilarious  enough  to  be  for  once  independent. 

"  But "  stammered  the  poor  woman,  utterly  dis- 
mayed, "  your  temperance  pledge ! " 

"  To  your  very  good  health,  Commodore,"  an- 
swered the  demented  man  ;  "  here  goes  !  "  tossing 
down  the  third  glass.  "  You  see  how  it  is,  Commo- 
dore, —  the-o-ret-i-cal-ly  I  'm  tem-per-r-rance,  but 
—  practic-tt-cal-ly  I  im-bibe ! " 

At  this  instant  his  wife,  seizing  him  by  the  arm, 
whispered  in  his  ear  :  "  Jake,  you  old  fool,  come 
home  at  once !  Don't  you  see,  with  all  your  theo- 
retical nonsense,  that  you  are  practically  drunk." 
With  this  they  disappeared. 

Mrs.  Wilton  saw  it  all.  The  Commodore  was 
radiant.  "What  a  victory  for  me  over  Roland," 
soliloquized  he.  "  While  he  is  talking  politics  with 
Garfield,  I  have  gotten  up  a  little  divertissement  to 
amuse  her.  Courage !  Roland  may  yet  be  on  the 
retired  list  before  I  am  !  " 


THE  SP ANGLER   HOUSE-WARMING.      129 

Mrs.  Wilton  tried  to  look  displeased,  and  said 
not  a  word ;  but  a  solitary  tear  trickled  down  her 
cheek,  the  effect  of  suppressed  laughter. 

"  Mrs.  Wilton,"  said  General  Garfield,  suddenly 
turning  towards  her,  "  how  does  this  grand  new 
house  impress  you?" 

"  General,  it  is  too  confusing  for  thought,"  said 
she.  "  It  spreads  out  like  a  peacock,  and  we  are 
all  overshadowed  by  the  iridescence." 

"  Come  now,"  said  the  General,  "  that  is  too 
clever  for  this  atmosphere.  Keep  such  scintilla- 
tions for  your  own  delightful  conversaziones.  Shall 
we  promenade  ? " 

"  How  can  I  ? " 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  To  be  sandwiched  in  the  crowd,  General  ? " 

"  You  do  not  wish  to  be  one  of  many"  said  he, 
"yet  it  is  our  national  motto." 

"  I  cannot,  General ;  I  revolt  from  a  crowd.  All 
crushes  are  vulgar,  no  matter  how  distinguished 
their  component  parts.  No  drawing-room  effect 
can  be  splendid  when  one  is  elbowed." 

"  But,"  asked  he,  "  what  if  one  steadily  advances, 
and  works  out  of  the  crush  ? " 

"  Ah,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  that  is  quite  another 
9 


130  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

thing;  and  if  you,  General  Garfield,  look  fixedly 
ahead,  above  and  beyond  all,  there  is  still  to  be 
reached  an  ultima  thule." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ? "  said  he,  with  lowered  voice 
and  dilated  eye  ;  "  but  where,  and  how  reach  it  ? " 

"  It  lies  in  the  direction  of  the  White  House,  and 
is  within  your  grasp,"  whispered  she. 

"  And  —  you  —  think  so  ? "  he  repeated  vaguely, 
not  looking  at  her,  but  as  if  he  would  search 
futurity. 

"  I  know  so,"  was  the  response. 

Then  there  was  silence.  Mrs.  Wilton  took  the 
proffered  arm  of  Senator  Roland,  who  at  that  mo- 
ment rejoined  them,  and  General  Garfield  bade 
good-night.  His  excellent  wife,  with  her  custom- 
ary good  sense,  had  preferred  to  stay  at  home  with 
the  children  on  that  stormy  night.  Did  General 
Garfield  then  dream  of  an  ultima  thule  t 

Between  Mrs.  Wilton  and  Senator  Roland  there 
existed  a  union  of  sentiment,  without  even  a  remote 
thought  of  marriage,  which  is  rarely  understood  by 
the  world.  They  had  for  each  other  a  genuine  Pla- 
tonic friendship.  This  mutual  confidence  was  based 
upon  moral  and  intellectual  sympathies,  which  made 
companionship  delightful.  Whenever  they  had  an 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      131 

opportunity  for  a  comparison  of  ideas,  it  was  quite 
wonderful  upon  how  wide  a  range  of  subjects  they 
had  attained  similar  conclusions. 

Very  few  women,  and  probably  still  fewer  men, 
are  equal  to  the  level  of  such  a  friendship  between 
the  sexes  ;  for  it  presupposes  much  that  cannot  be, 
if  the  nature  is  gross,  or  even  unrefined.  Yet  in 
their  case  all  the  conditions  of  true  regard  were 
manifest.  Without  conformity  of  disposition,  there 
was  complete  moral  and  mental  correspondence. 

There  is  probably  no  truer  test  of  absolute  trust 
than  that  of  silence.  The  society  of  one  who  makes 
no  demand  for  the  expression  of  thought  is  most 
refreshing,  for  it  involves  the  certainty  of  being 
comprehended.  Such  was  a  not  unusual  mood  be- 
tween these  friends  ;  and  for  some  minutes,  on  this 
occasion,  they  were  silent  observers. 

"  It  is  kaleidoscopic,  is  it  not  ? "  asked  Senator 
Roland  presently. 

"  It  is  a  strange  medley,"  answered  Mrs.  Wilton. 
"  This  odd  house,  the  decorations,  the  upholstery, 
—  the  tout  ensemble  is  indeed  curious." 

"And  the  assemblage?"  replied  the  Senator, 
glancing  at  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ignotus,  who  were  at  the 
instant  passing,  and  then  looking  around  at  a  group 
of  well-bred  people  standing  near. 


132  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

"  These  two  first,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "are  rustics ; 
these  others  are  des  notres.  The  full-summed  mean- 
ing of  all  is  —  Washington" 

Roland's  clear,  deep-set  blue  eye  looked  into  the 
other's  depth  of  more  tender  violet-blue  for  response. 
It  was  evident  that  they  two  held  an  identical  ap- 
preciation of  the  illusive  forms  of  a  Washington 
season. 

At  that  moment  a  lady  faultlessly  dressed,  and 
of  good-natured,  kindly  countenance,  but  otherwise 
of  very  plain  aspect,  approached  Mrs.  Wilton. 
"Why,  how  are  you,  Mrs.  Malaprop?"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Wilton.  "  I  am  happy  to  see  you.  I  had  the 
impression  you  were  still  abroad." 

"  I  came  home  some  weeks  ago,  Mrs.  Wilton," 
she  replied  ;  "  that  is,  if  your  name  is  Mrs.  Wilton 
still ;  but,"  —  regarding  Senator  Roland  with  a  look 
of  enquiry,  —  "  but  it  seems  to  me  that  I  did  hear 
somewhere,  from  some  one,  that  you  were  married 
to  somebody." 

In  spite  of  herself  Mrs.  Wilton  was  angry,  and 
she  stiffly  replied :  "  Who,  Mrs.  Malaprop,  could 
have  done  me  this  signal  injustice?" 
-  "Did  you  enjoy  the  tour  abroad,  madam?"  in- 
quired Senator  Roland,  wishing  to  spare  Mrs. 
Wilton  all  embarrassment. 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      133 

"Well,  only  to  a  degree,  sir.  I  had  my  eyes 
about  me,  however ;  for,  thank  heaven,  I  never 
have  to  wear  spectacles,  as  I  am  told  Boston  people 
always  do,"  very  innocently  replied  the  lady  to  the 
edified  Bostonian. 

It  was  now  Mrs.  Wilton's  turn  to  come  to 
the  rescue.  "Was  your  stay  prolonged,  Mrs. 
Malaprop  ? " 

"  Not  so  very  long,  Mrs.  Wilton  ;  although  now 
I  "recall  the  fact,  I  left  you  in  deep  mourning  for 
your  husband,  which  I  am  happy  to  perceive  you 
have  laid  aside  for  second-mourning  colors.  This 
is  a  beginning,  anyhow,  in  the  right  direction." 

"Did  you  meet  many  pleasant  people  in  your 
travels  ? "  asked  Senator  Roland,  determined  to 
turn  aside  the  personal  edge  of  her  remarks  from 
Mrs.  Wilton. 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  Mrs.  Malaprop,  whose  current  of 
talk  was  as  easy  to  change  as  the  onward  flow  of 
any  babbling  little  brook,  that  goes  another  way  at 
the  slightest  impediment.  "Certainly;  there  are 
more  people  worth  seeing,  to  be  sure,  when  one 
travels  over  a  continent.  I  saw  a  Mr.  Gladstone,  a 
Mr.  D'  Isreely,  a  Miss  Nightingale,  a  Mr.  Gambetta, 
and  "  — 


134  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Here  the  list  was  cut  short  by  Amabel  and 
Stella,  who  joined  them,  accompanied  by  Prince 
Nikolaus  and  M.  le  Vicomte  De  La  Tour.  The 
introductions  were  made,  because  requested  by 
Mrs.  Malaprop,  who  at  once  said  to  Stella:  "Is 
your  mother  alive  yet?" 

Poor  Stella !  This  was  her  first  evening  in  gay 
dress  since  that  great  sadness  ;  and  Mrs.  Wilton, 
fearing  the  shock  would  be  too  painful,  hastened  to 
engage  the  attention  of  Mrs.  Malaprop,  by  saying 
to  her  that  perhaps  she  had  visited  Russia,  and 
that  Prince  Nikolaus  was  a  Russian.  The  Prince 
bowed,  and  Mrs.  Malaprop  at  once  turned  her 
batteries  on  him. 

"  I  did  not  care  to  visit  Russia,"  she  said ;  "  for 
in  the  first  place  I  was  afraid  of  being  mistaken  for 
a  noble  or  something  of  that  sort,  and  being  poi- 
soned, or  blown  up  by  dynamite  on  your  railways, 
Prince.  And  I  did  not  care  much  to  see  your  Czar 
anyhow,  for  all  my  sympathies  are  with  the  op- 
pressed Turks.  How  handsome  the  Sultan  is,  with 
his  romantic  dress !  " 

Mrs.  Wilton,  who  had  a  delicate  sense  of  all  that 
is  due  to  the  stranger  in  courtesy,  was  greatly  mor- 
tified, for  there  was  no  stopping  Mrs.  Malaprop 


THE  SPANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      135 

until  she  ran  down  for  want  of  breath.  At  the 
instant's  pause,  Mrs.  Wilton  interrupted  her,  saying 
to  Mrs.  Malaprop,  "  M.  le  Vicomte  De  La  Tour  is 
an  addition  to  our  Washington  society  since  you 
left  us." 

"  I  am  happy  to  meet  M.  De  La  Tour  in  Wash- 
ington," said  Mrs.  Malaprop,  "  for,  if  I  remember 
rightly,  when  I  was  in  Paris  it  was  said,  in  Amer- 
ican circles,  that  M.  De  La  Tour  had  been  offered 
the  mission  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Is  that  so  ?  " 

"  It  was  so,  madame,"  said  M.  le  Vicomte,  evi- 
dently nettled ;  "  and  I  was  later  tendered  my 
present  position,  which,  after  some  deliberation,  I 
accepted." 

"  What  ? "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Malaprop,  in  astonish- 
ment,—  "and  you  concluded  to  come  to  Washing- 
ton, rather  than  go  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  ? " 

"  Did  I  make  a  mistake,  madame  ? "  said  the 
French  Secretary  of  Legation,  much  exasperated. 

"  A  mistake  ? "  blurted  out  the  maladroit ;  "  I 
should  think  you  did,  when  you  would  have  been 
so  much  better  fitted  to  live  among  the  savages." 

This  was  past  bearing.  Whatever  the  amiable 
lady  intended  to  say,  she  had,  with  her  usual  ill- 
luck,  expressed  the  reverse,  and  thus  found  herself 


136  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

in  a  circle  of  charming  people,  each  one  of  whom 
had  been  proven  vulnerable.  It  was  a  great  relief 
when  Commodore  Reflex  —  with  his  slightly  gouty 
gait,  benevolent  bald  head,  and  ruddy  face  —  ap- 
peared, to  suggest  that  it  would  be  more  prudent, 
before  venturing  into  the  night  air,  to  adjourn  to 
the  supper-room,  and  fortify  themselves  against 
taking  cold.  As  the  Commodore  bowed  to  Mrs. 
Malaprop  with  instinctive  politeness,  she  compla- 
cently remarked  to  Amabel*:  "  I  see,  Miss  Wilton, 
your  grandfather  has  come  to  take  you  away ;  "  and 
quickly  turning  for  a  parting  word  to  the  French- 
man, all  unaware  of  the  almost  stertorous  breathing 
of  the  injured  Commodore,  she  said  :  "  I  forgot  to 
mention,  M.  De  La  Tour,  that  of  all  the  celebrities 
I  met  in  Europe,  I  most  admired  Bismarck,  the 
great  Bismarck." 

"Good  evening,  Mrs.  Malaprop,"  said  Senator 
Roland,  offering  his  arm  to  Mrs.  Wilton,  and  for 
once  leading  the  way,  as  the  whole  party  beat  a 
hasty  retreat  to  the  supper-room. 

"We  are,"  said  the  Senator,  "one  and  all,  a 
routed  and  demoralized  set." 

The  c6terie,  having  taken  a  cup  of  coffee,  sought 
their  hostess  to  make  their  parting  compliments, 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE-WARMING.      137 

and  every  one  was  painfully  impressed  by  the  hag- 
gard look  of  utter  exhaustion  of  Mrs.  Spangler. 

"  I,  too,  am  weary,  aunt,"  said  Stella,  who  had 
not  regained  her  usual  elasticity  since  the  brusque 
allusion  by  Mrs.  Malaprop  to  her  beloved  mother, 
now  no  more. 

"  When  mademoiselle  is  weary,  her  eyes  do  not 
grow  dim,"  said  M.  le  Vicomte,  bowing  good-night. 

"  Miss  Stevens  cannot  but  be  luminous,"  said  Mr. 
Clysmic,  "  for  she  is  a  Stellar  constellation  ; "  and 
he  waited  to  assist  the  ladies  to  their  carriage. 

Stella  had  courtesied  in  a  coquettish  little  way  to 
M.  le  Vicomte,  but  she  gave  the  radiance  of  her 
brightest  glance  to  the  journalist. 

"Adieu,  Prince,"  said  Amabel. 

"  Can  utter  darkness  come  so  soon  ?  "  sighed  he. 
Then  turning  to  Mrs.  Wilton,  he  added  :  "  May  I 
call  to-morrow,  madame,  if  only  to  inquire  how  you 
have  borne  the  fatigues  of  the  day  ? " 

"  We  have  engagements  to-morrow,  Prince  Nik- 
olaus,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "but  if  you  will  dine  with 
us  en  famille  at  six,  it  will  give  us  pleasure." 

"I  thank  you  heartily  for  the  courtesy,  and  it 
makes  me  very  happy  to  accept,"  answered  the 
Prince. 


138  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Baron  Skerowski  joined  the  Prince  just  in  time 
to  catch  the  concluding  sentence,  which  did  not 
seem  to  please  him,  for  he  bowed  with  hauteur  to 
Mrs.  Wilton ;  and,  taking  the  arm  of  Prince  Niko- 
laus,  as  if  to  lead  him  away,  said  :  "  Prince  Nikolaus, 
I  regret  interrupting  your  conversation,  but  my 
daughter  Olga  stands  waiting  in  her  wraps,  and  our 
carriage  stops  the  way." 

"  I  am  at  your  service,  Baron,"  said  the  Prince ; 
"  only  a  moment ;  "  and  turning  once  again  to  Ama- 
bel he  said,  in  a  low  tone  :  "  May  the  morrow  be 
as  happy  as  to-day." 

As  Prince  Nikolaus  handed  Olga  Skerowski  into 
the  carriage,  it  was  evident  that  the  Baron's  daugh- 
ter did  not  interest  him.  At  the  moment  the  Prince 
returned  to  say  that  one  last  word  to  Amabel,  which 
she  heard  with  flushed  cheek,  her  eye  caught  the 
reflection  in  a  mirror  of  the  classic  head  of  Clarence 
Meredith,  and  she  was  pained  by  the  extreme  pallor 
of  his  countenance  ;  and  her  hitherto  undisturbed 
peace  was  troubled  by  the  question  :  Did  she  prefer 
Clarence  Meredith  ? '  or  was  Prince  Nikolaus  her 
favorite  ?  But  this  conflicting  emotion  defied  anal- 
ysis in  the  heart  and  brain  of  an  artless  girl,  on 
the  night  of  her  first  ball. 


THE  SP ANGLER  HOUSE.  139 

The  guests  were  now  leaving  the  house  in  rapid 
succession.  Indeed  there  remained  only  some 
bon-vivants,  who  lingered  over  the  supper-table  ; 
and  among  them  several  women  of  fashion,  who 
could  manage  at  least  a  pound  of  patd-dc-foie-gras. 
Like  the  Strasburg  goose,  the  capacity  was  the 
result  of  a  gradual  system  of  stuffing. 

One  sulky  husband  stood  waiting  on  his  wife. 
She  was  an  habitude  of  Washington  routs,  it  is 
true  ;  but  this  evening,  temptations  had  been  mul- 
tiplied. Mr.  Clysmic,  whose  quick  eye  was  every- 
where, had  noticed  her  performance  with  increasing 
wonder,  and  paused  for  the  result.  She  had  been 
helped  to  terrapin  and  champagne,  lobster  salad 
and  punch,  sandwich  and  tea,  aspic,  boned  turkey 
and  sherry ;  then  fruit-cake,  ice-cream,  wine  jellies 
and  more  champagne,  fruits,  conserves,  and  —  "  any- 
thing more  ? "  mechanically  repeats  the  wearied 
Benedict. 

"  Yes,"  said  Clysmic,  "  the  doctor." 

The  already  irritated  man  turned  with  an  angry 
gesture,  but  the  prophet  had  vanished.  Sure 
enough,  at  three  o'clock  that  morning,  only  two 
hours  later,  the  prediction  was  verified  ;  for  plod- 
ding through  the  sleet  was  the  same  miserable 
husband,  seeking  a  doctor. 


140  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

There  is  a  furious  ringing  at  the  doctor's  door. 
The  window  goes  up. 

"What's  wanted?" 

"  A  doctor." 

"  Urgent  ? " 

"  Asiatic  cholera  ;  gone  off  in  collapse  ;  but  take 
it  easy,  doctor." 

"  There,"  said  the  irate  ^Esculapius,  slamming 
down  the  window  ;  "  that  woman 's  been  to  a  party 
again." 

The  revelry  of  the  night  was  at  an  end,  the  lights 
extinguished,  and  the  tired  flunkies  had  crept  off 
to  bed.  The  house  was  noxious  with  mephitic  air, 
to  which  was  added  the  sickening  odors  of  dying 
flowers. 

The  master  was  left  alone. 

"  A  curse  on  my  ill  luck,"  groaned  he,  as  with 
panting  breath  and  furious  gesture  he  bemoaned 
his  hard  fate.  "  What  ?  To  have  bartered  my  soul 
for  money,  to  have  sacrificed  even  my  mother  to 
my  ambition,  and  yet  —  to  be  tied  in  this  stupid 
way,  by  my  own  act,  to  that  woman,  who  can  no 
longer  help  me  climb.  She  is  no  more  of  any  use 
to  me.  She  stands  in  my  way,  and  I  must  shake 
her  off  —  a  curse  upon  her.  Ah  ! "  he  moaned, 


THE  8PANGLER  HOUSE.  141 

as  if  pleading  with  an  image  that  once  had  given 
him  pleasure, —  "yes  so  she  was, —  once  young 
and  beautiful  too." 

"  Not  superb,  though,  like  this  other  woman," 
whispered  the  tempter. 

Then  the  blind  frenzy  of  his  passion  again  pos- 
sessed him.  "  Before  heaven  and  hell,  she  shall  be 
mine.  Why,  she  would  push  me  to  the  topmost 
rung,  and  I  would  seize  the  prize.  With  her,  I 
could  be  President." 

Then  again  came  the  revulsion,  and  memory  was 
interceding.  "  The  old  wife,  how  much  grit  she 
had  when  I  married  her.  How  hard  she  did  work ! 
What  pluck  she  had  !  And  good-looking,  too.  It 
was  said,  by  long  odds,  that  she  was  the  finest  girl 
in  the  place,  when  I  took  her  for  my  bride." 

"  But  what  of  this  goddess,  this  splendid  beauty 
of  to-night  ?  "  again  recalled  the  tempter. 

"  I  know  it,"  hissed  Spangler,  as  insatiate  long- 
ing again  maddened  his  brain.  "  Fool  that  I  am, 
to  look  back,  —  fool  to  have  pity.  I  am  now  the 
Honorable  Silvester  Spangler,  United  States  Sena- 
tor, with  a  big  new  house  ;  and  there  must  be  a 
swell  new  wife  to  splurge  in  it,  to  boot.  The  old 
wife.  What  is  she  to  me  now,  forsooth  ?  What  if 


142  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

she  was  the  handsomest  girl  in  the  town  ?  It  was 
a  d — d  small  town  ;  and  now  —  the  country 's  not 
great  enough  to  hold  me.  Hallo ! "  he  almost 
yelled,  "a  spick  and  span  new  wife." 

And  there  entered  into  the  man  still  another 
demon,  added  to  the  two  that  already  possessed 
him,  —  the  devil  of  inordinate  desire,  whose  name 
is  Lust. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    CHEVALIER   PASQUALE    BENEDETTO. 

'T^HE  Chevalier  Pasquale  Benedetto  had  not  re- 
ceived any  special  education  as  a  diplomatist ; 
but  he  was  sent,  through  some  particular  influence 
at  home,  to  Washington  as  his  first  mission.  This 
does  not  often  occur  in  Europe,  where  diplomacy 
is  entered  upon  as  a  regular  career,  and  regarded 
as  a  profession  requiring  preparation  and  training; 
the  members  of  the  corps-diplomatique  commenc- 
ing at  the  low  grades,  and  gradually  advancing 
from  positions  as  Chancellors,  Attaches,  and  Secre- 
taries, to  Chargt  d] 'Affaires,  Ministers  Resident, 
Envoys  Extraordinary,  and  Ministers  Plenipoten- 
tiary,—  being  finally  sent  to  monarchical  courts  as 
Embassadors  representing  the  Sovereign  himself. 

Thus,  as  in  the  professions  of  the  Army  and 
Navy,  these  men  are  advanced  by  routine  from 
step  to  step,  and  transferred  from  post  to  post, 


144  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

finally  reaching  positions  of  highest  honor.  Of 
course  court  favor  may  set  aside  routine,  just  as 
nepotism  has  often  produced  the  most  scandalous 
favoritism  in  our  own  Army  and  Navy  appoint- 
ments. Court  favor,  however,  cannot  be  more 
capricious  or  more  disastrous  than  political  patron- 
age when  improperly  bestowed;  for  it,  like  the 
former,  not  only  transcends  all  rule,  but  likewise 
makes  the  mistakes  consequent  upon  inexperience. 
Often  also,  our  most  corrupt  practices  are  so  hid- 
den as  to  be  in  a  measure  irresponsible. 

Again,  in  the  diplomatic  service  abroad,  change 
of  place  is  at  times  considered  of  itself  a  promotion, 
without  other  advancement ;  some  places  being 
regarded  as  of  more  importance  than  others. 

For  instance,  diplomats  will  occasionally  let  one 
know,  in  that  mysterious  way  incident  to  the  sup- 
posed magnitude  of  state  secrets,  that  Washington 
is  rated  as  at  the  foot  of  the  diplomatic  ladder  by 
European  governments.  Goslings  are  sent  here  to 
learn  to  quack  and  try  their  wings,  and  crude  tyros 
to  make  a  beginning.  What  else  can  we  expect,  if 
we  will  insist  on  having  a  republican  form  of  gov- 
ernment, and  a  plain  Mr.  President  who  is  neither 
king  nor  kaiser  ? 


THE   CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.  145 

Let  us  sympathize  with  the  sufferings  of  Count 
Peepo,  Baron  Scowly,  or  my  Lord  Littlejohn,  who 
is  obliged  to  give  state  dinners  to  Mr.  Smith,  the 
late  tanner,  Mr.  Brown,  fresh  from  his  cattle-ranch, 
or  Mr.  Green,  once  a  blacksmith.  But  this  humili- 
ating social  commerce  has  to  be  endured,  for  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  Cabinet-officer,  Mr.  Brown  a  senator,  and 
Mr.  Green,  Speaker  of  the  House.  But  at  last  the 
blessed  day  dawns  when  the  royal  approval  of  "  well 
done  "  comes  in  the  shape  of  a  transfer  to  the  dull 
court  of  some  German  principality,  almost  as  big 
as  the  District  of  Columbia  with  the  Potomac  River 
left  out.  These  trifles  are  the  outcome  of  inherent 
antagonisms  between  monarchies  and  republics. 

Now  the  Chevalier  was  of  a  class  of  men,  not  as 
yet,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  established  among  our- 
selves as  pursuing  a  life  to  be  set  apart  and  classi- 
fied. He  was  a  savant.  In  Europe  he  had  devoted 
himself  to  literature  and  to  the  study  of  philosophy ; 
and  he  had  published  some  essays,  on  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  various  schools  of  philosophy, 
that  had  been  well  thought  of. 

The  reason  why  the  Chevalier  was  taken  from 
his  books,  and  sent,  at  one  stroke  of  the  pen,  as 
envoy  extraordinary  and  minister  plenipotentiary 


146  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

to  Washington,  was  never  discovered.  It  was, 
however,  suspected  that  his  theories  concerning  the 
Giobertian  philosophy  conflicted  with  those  enter- 
tained by  some  royal  personage ;  and  he  was  there- 
fore cleverly  gotten  out  of  the  way,  and  his  doughty 
pen  changed  into  the  goose-quill  of  diplomacy.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  —  who  would  be  so  cruel  as  to  inves- 
tigate state  secrets  ?  —  he  fell  like  a  bombshell 
amidst  the  vapid  serenities  of  diplomatic  existence, 
he  was  so  uncomfortably  unlike  his  colleagues.  He 
had  brain-power,  and  that  was  disagreeable  and 
made  him  eccentric. 

Now  it  is  absurd  for  the  diplomat  to  have  any 
real  object  in  life ;  for  in  this  age  of  telegrams,  tele- 
phones, fast  steamers,  and  the  coming  flying-ship, 
his  "  occupation  's  gone.  "  If  the  hebdomadal  de- 
spatches are  correctly  sealed  and  red-taped  for  the 
pigeon-holes  of  foreign  offices  abroad,  that  is  quite 
sufficient. 

Then  the  Chevalier  spoke  English  with  scholarly 
accuracy,  which  was  not  so  interesting  as  a  foreign 
accent  would  have  been ;  and  he  preferred  English 
to  French,  —  oh,  wonder  of  wonders !  In  the  cata- 
logue of  his  sins  it  could  not  be  denied  that  his 
clothes  were  almost  as  ill-fitting  as  those  of  the 


THE  CHEVALIER   BENEDETTO.  147 

rural  member  of  Congress.  Moreover,  he  was  not 
flirtatious  with  women,  as  all  Italians  had  hitherto 
been.  In  this  respect  he  failed  to  sustain  the 
national  reputation. 

But  th,e  crowning  eccentricity  was,  that  he  actu- 
ally sought  to  inform  himself  regarding  the  institu- 
tions, the  local  laws,  the  form  of  government,  the 
general  habits,  and  the  genius  of  the  people  amongst 
whom  he  was  sent.  He  seemed  to  prefer  these  stu- 
pid researches,  to  frequenting  the  exclusive  salons 
of  ultra-fashionables.  When,  indeed,  at  times  he 
was  found  in  the  circle  of  la  creme  de  la  creme,  he 
was  heard  to  declare  that  the  persiflage  of  diplomatic 
circles  reminded  him  of  the  crater  of  Vesuvius  — 
that  had  nothing  in  it.  He  was  seen  on  such  occa- 
sions to  yawn  so  long  that  his  snags  of  three  teeth 
were  visible,  and  so  loud  as  to  be  heard. 

He  was  accused  of  using  a  red  silk  handkerchief, 
because  it  was  more  convenient  in  conjunction 
with  his  tabatiere.  He  forgot  to  have  his  hair  cut. 
It  was  suspected  that  he  had  but  one  shirt.  He 
did  not  wear  gloves.  Degante" !  Oh,  fie !  On  being 
expostulated  with  as  to  this  omission  by  the  Doyen, 
—  who  was  a  small  man  but  a  prodigious  marti- 
net, —  he  defended  his  coarseness  by  declaring  that 


148  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

he  preferred  the  texture  of  his  own  hands  to  dressed 
rat-skins  ;  and  he  shocked  the  Doyen  by  declaring 
himself  in  this  respect  in  advance  of  the  age  in  true 
civilization. 

There  was  a  scandalous  bit  of  gossip  about  him, 
—  that  once,  when  a  boasting  colleague  said  that 
his  housekeeper  always  had  his  socks  mended, 
Benedetto  remarked :  "  I  do  better  still ;  I  wear 
none." 

It  is  quite  mortifying,  when  one  is  in  the  sub- 
limated air  of  le  cercle  diplomatique,  to  have  to 
chronicle  these  strange  actions. 

In  addition  to  these  plebeian  proclivities,  he  had 
the  incivility  to  be  distrait.  It  was  said,  for  in- 
stance, that  when  giving  a  petit  souper  to  some 
young  diplomats  at  his  rooms,  en  garden,  that  he 
mistook  his  wash-basin  for  the  punch-bowl  in  mak- 
ing lemonade. 

The  pen  grows  confused,  and  one  hastens  to 
throw  a  kindly  cloak  over  his  oddities,  by  repeating 
that  this  man  was  a  book-worm  and  a  litterateur; 
and  so  he  moused  around  in  deep  recesses  of  the 
Congressional  and  other  libraries,  where  he  might 
have  been  mistaken  for  the  twin-brother  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln. 


THE   CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.  149 

This  anomalous  Chevalier  was  tall,  spare,  of 
swarthy  complexion,  with  a  profusion  of  long,  very 
black,  unkempt  hair,  and  he  had  a  rather  disjointed 
look  in  his  arms  and  legs  ;  but  he  had  a  handsome 
moustache,  and  magnificent  black  eyes,  with  bushy 
eyebrows  and  long,  drooping  lashes.  These  lashes 
veiled  the  fire  of  his  eyes,  when  he  sought  intro- 
spection, a  condition  of  mind  habitual  to  him. 

Now  the  Chevalier  was  no  less  odd  in  his  asso- 
ciates than  in  his  habits.  For  instance,  at  that 
time  the  great  Sumner  was  just  emerging  from  the 
social  ban  laid  upon  him  as  an  Abolitionist  in  the 
olden  time.  In  those  old  slavery  days,  —  when,  if  the 
angel  Gabriel  had  announced  Liberty  from  the  dome 
of  the  Capitol,  all  the  bon-ton  of  Washington  would 
have  snubbed  him,  —  Sumner  was  the  fast  friend 
of  Benedetto.  He  never  was  seen  to  yawn  when 
conversing  by  the  hour  with  him.  Then,  he  and 
Caleb  Gushing  talked  like  polyglots  for  an  unending 
time,  and  resembled  walking  encyclopaedias,  as  they 
promenaded  arm-in-arm  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 

In  his  case,  as  so  often  happens  with  others,  wo- 
men exhibited  the  anomaly  of  desiring  his  atten- 
tion, in  proportion  as  he  was  indifferent  to  their 
society.  When,  therefore,  he  had  requested  to  be 


ISO  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

presented  to  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  and  gave  her  as 
much  attention  as  the  constant  presence  of  Senator 
Spangler  permitted,  the  circumstance  caused  no 
little  comment  His  evident  admiration  for  the 
charming  widow  greatly  diverted  several  young 
diplomats,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  comparing 
notes  regarding  his  peculiarities ;  and  they  even 
went  so  far  as  to  approach  him  on  the  subject. 
The  Chevalier  was  really  good-natured,  not  over- 
refined,  —  as  we  have  seen,  —  and  utterly  disregard- 
ful  as  to  who  observed  him  or  who  did  not  -This 
heedlessness  was  a  sort  of  grand,  wilful  way  he 
had,  which  in  reality  gave  him  vastly  more  ease 
than  if  he  had  been  the  most  polished  courtier. 

The  night  of  the  ball,  when  the  Chevalier  re- 
turned to  his  suite  of  apartments,  which  were  filled 
with  an  indescribable  collection  of  books,  maps, 
globes,  chemical  and  philosophical  apparatus,  mag- 
azines, newspapers,  pipes,  snuff-boxes,  caps,  bats, 
boxing-gloves,  dumb-bells,  riding-whips,  —  all  in 
endless  confusion,  in  consequence  of  his  never 
permitting  a  living  soul  to  touch,  or,  as  he  said, 
displace  anything,  —  when  this  forlorn,  because 
most  obstinate  of  bachelors,  returned  to  his  den,  he 
felt  uncomfortable. 


THE  CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.  151 

This  was  an  unusual  condition  with  him,  for  his 
mind  was  always  so  preoccupied  that  he  was  inno- 
cent of  self-consciousness.  He  therefore  at  once 
applied  himself  to  a  deliberate  metaphysical  inspec- 
tion of  causes. 

"  Primo,  I  am  a  savant,  a  philosopher.  As  such, 
my  peace  of  mind  should  be  entire  ;  conceded  as  to 
logical  sequence :  but  in  point  of  fact  I  find  myself 
disturbed.  Now,  there  must  be  cause  and  effect. 
These  are  evident  correlations.  The  effect  is 
cognizable.  The  cause  is  of  recent  origin — very 
recent  indeed  ;  I  may  say,  co-existent  with  a  mate- 
rial fact.  That  real  event,  which  has  invaded  the 
higher  functions  of  the  life,  is  —  it  cannot  be  de- 
nied—  the  capture  of  my  senses  by  this  widow; 
a  coincidence,  a  very  decided  coincidence  !  Let  us 
formulate  the  syllogism.  Premised,  —  I  was  in  a 
state  of  philosophic  calm  before  I  met  the  widow. 
Second  premise,  —  my  mind  is  at  present  obfus- 
cated. Conclusion,  —  the  widow  is  needed  to  re- 
store the  equipoise  of  my  intellect.  ^Equo  Animo  ! 
Behold  the  beauty  of  logic.  Without  the  aid  of  this 
science,  I  might  be  duped  by  the  illusive,  and  admit 
—  I  am  in  love.  But  Philosophy  is  the  synthetic 
blessing ;  it  shows  me  how  to  regain  a  peace  I  have 


152  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

lost.  It  says  to  me  in  a  positive  way :  '  Benedetto 
you  must  marry  ;  the  time  has  come.'  True,  I  am 
fifty  years  of  age,  and  midway  in  the  discussion  of 
the  problem  of  life  ;  but  Humanitarianism  requires 
a  companion.  I  desire  to  be  neither  transcendental 
nor  eclectic,  but  always  dialectic  in  my  processes. 
As  a  dialectician,  —  it  is  evident,  —  I  must  marry." 

Now  it  was  so  like  most  men  —  who  are  not 
philosophers,  and  who  fall  in  love  like  fools,  with- 
out knowing  why,  or  even  stopping  to  investigate 
causes  —  for  this  logician  never  to  go  on  and  frame 
a  second  syllogism,  after  this  fashion  :  — 

Premise  —  I  must  marry  the  widow,  if  she  will 
have  me. 

Second  Premise  —  Will  she  have  me  ? 

Conclusion  —  If  she  will  not  have  me,  I  cannot 
marry  the  widow. 

Poor  Benedetto  was  not  after  all  complete  in  his 
philosophy,  for  in  God's  plan  it  takes  two  to  make 
an  agreement. 

Women  have  quicker  perceptions  than  men; 
that  is  a  conceded  fact.  Now  the  widow  would 
have  said  :  "  Reason  or  no  reason,  —  if  he  will 
have  me,  I  will  have  him  ;  therefore  he  is  mine." 

One  thing  that  often  leads  men  to  be  unreason- 


THE  CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.  153 

• 

ably  disappointed,  when  their  matrimonial  proposi- 
tions are  rejected,  is  their  inordinate  vanity,  which 
makes  them  take  success  for  granted.  Somewhat 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Chevalier,  they  argue  from 
their  own  standpoint  only.  When  they  conclude 
to  make  choice  of  a  wife,  they  decide  from  their 
own  proclivities.  Some  men,  perhaps  the  greater 
number,  seek  beauty,  according  to  the  types  they 
prefer ;  others  are  mercenary ;  some  are  selfish, 
and  look  to  be  taken  care  of  ;  while  others  feel  the 
need  of  companionship  ;  but  one  and  all  are  very 
apt  to  regard  the  affair  as  settled,  when  they 
themselves  have  come  to  a  decision.  Hence  the 
unjust  indignation  if  their  addresses  are  rejected. 

It  was  a  very  fortunate  circumstance  for  the 
Chevalier,  that  when,  in  pursuance  of  the  deter- 
mination of  the  night  previous,  he  called  the  next 
day  upon  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  he  found  her  very 
triste,  and  recognizing  the  fact  that  she  needed 
protection.  Who  shall  not  say  that  marriages  may 
be  made  in  heaven,  when  it  so  often  happens  that 
the  most  fortuitous  circumstances,  and  the  most 
unlooked-for,  prepare  the  way. 

The  fact  was  that  Senator  Spangler  had  just  pre- 
ceded the  Chevalier,  and  that  Mme.  De  Beaulieu 


154  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

had  been  excessively  annoyed  by  his  insolent  stare 
and  offensive  compliments,  —  and  not  a  little 
alarmed  by  the  cool  assertion  that  the  success  of 
her  claim  must  depend  upon  his  efforts.  When,  in 
reply  to  this  statement,  she  ventured  to  ask  if 
any  one  man  could  carry  her  claim  through  Con- 
gress, he  replied  with  arrogance :  "  One  man, 
backed  by  a  lobby,  may  carry  it  through  ;  but  one 
man,  without  a  lobby,  if  he  makes  a  point  of  it,  can 
kill  it." 

This  was  very  discouraging,  in  case  she  dis- 
pleased Senator  Spangler.  When  the  Chevalier 
Benedetto  was  ushered  into  her  presence  she  was 
in  a  state  of  indignation,  and  at  the  same  time  of 
trepidation,  that  was  very  interesting.  The  Cheva- 
lier instinctively  paused  as  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  ad- 
vanced to  meet  him.  The  agitation  of  the  previous 
moments  had  heightened  her  color,  given  expres- 
sion to  her  eyes,  and  increased  dignity  to  her 
manner. 

"  I  was'  not  mistaken,"  thought  he,  "  she  is  very 
charming." 

"  I  marvelled  much,"  he  said  "  last  evening, 
fair  lady,  to  see  so  well  enacted  the  fable  of 
the  Beauty  and  the  Beast.  The  contrast  you 


THE  CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.  155 

presented,  on  the  arm  of  Senator  Spangler,  was 
indeed  forcible." 

At  any  other  time  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  would 
have  met  the  banter  with  some  ready  reply,  but 
now  she  felt  too  wretched.  With  a  tone  of  voice 
that  asked  for  consolation,  she  replied  :  "Ah,  sig- 
nor,  be  not  so  cruel.  Spare  me  badinage,  and  give 
me  sympathy.  The  fable  was  for  me  a  sad  reality. 
He  is  indeed  a  terrible  vulgarian.  Let  us  not  al- 
lude to  him  again." 

The  Chevalier  was  strangely  moved  to  find  her 
troubled.  "  Women,"  thought  he,  "  surpass  all 
philosophy.  I  have  still  much  to  learn." 

All  true  men  love  to  be  looked  up  to  as  the 
guardians,  the  protectors,  of  women.  It  is  a  role 
which  awakens  the  chivalry,  the  manliness,  they 
possess.  The  Chevalier  felt  at  once  as  if  he  had 
assumed  the  defence  of  this  beautiful  woman, 
against  the  coarse  attentions  of  one  who  displeased 
her.  In  addition,  the  good  sense,  ready  wit,  and 
intelligence  of  her  conversation  delighted  him.  It 
was  curious,  however,  that  he  did  not  consider  him- 
self as  the  captive  that  he  was,  but  congratulated 
himself  that  he  was  conducting  matters  as  a 
dialectician. 


156*  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  found  the  Chevalier  exceed- 
ingly agreeable,  and  she  was  not  at  all  aware  that 
his  visit  had  been  one  of  long  duration.  Very  few 
women  care  much  about  personal  attractions  in 
men,  if  they  have  the  power  to  fascinate  them.  It 
often  happens  that  downright  ugly  men  succeed  in 
gaining  genuine  admiration,  and  in  making  them- 
selves quite  irresistible. 

When  finally  the  visit  of  the  Chevalier  was  at  an 
end,  engagements  had  been  made  to  visit  the  Capi- 
tol the  next  day,  and  to  attend  the  conversazione  of 
Mrs.  Wilton  on  Saturday  evening. 

On  reaching  his  rooms,  and  surveying  the  situa- 
tion, the  Chevalier  soliloquized  :  "  I  scarcely  think 
I  have  wasted  my  time ;  for  matrimony  is  a  business 
to  be  carefully  conducted,  and  this  is  a  new  de- 
parture, a  new  school  of  philosophic  speculation. 
Then  came  the  illogical  thought,  "How  beautiful 
she  is ! " 

And  Madame  de  Beaulieu  said  to  herself,  when 
she  found  that  she  had  scarcely  time  left  to  be 
coiffed  for  a  dinner  engagement :  "  What  a  dear 
goose  he  is,  —  and  so  safe  and  ugly;  and  yet  I 
find  him  so  perfectly  charming  that,  if  he  were 
younger,  and  only  the  least  handsome,  and  a  ladies' 


THE  CHEVALIER  BENEDETTO.          1 57 

man,  I  might  lose  my  heart.  As  it  is,  —  why,  the 
fates  have  sent  me  a  father  to  adopt."  And  she 
laughed  her  quaint  little  laugh. 

"  Madame  has  no  time  to  lose,"  said  Marie. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Madame ;  "  bring  me  the  rose- 
satin  dinner-dress.  Yes,  couleur  de  rose  it  shall  be." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

A  VISIT  TO  THE   CAPITOL. 

Y\7"HEN  the  Chevalier  and  Madame  De  Beaulieu 
visited  the  Capitol,  the  literary  proclivities 
of  the  former  led  him  first  to  the  Libraries. 

"  Jurisprudence  is  a  noble  science,"  said  he. 
"  There  is  nothing  higher  or  broader,  in  all  its  bear- 
ings, than  that  profession  which  adjusts  the  rights 
of  mankind,  weighs  them  as  in  a  balance,  and  de- 
fines what  is  right.  Law,  based  upon  the  eternal 
principles  of  justice,  and  equity  and  international 
law,  binding  the  nations  in  a  common  brotherhood, 
are  grand  subjects  for  contemplation." 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  looked  around  at  the  inelegant 
and  over-crowded  rooms  of  the  Law  Library,  where 
they  were  standing,  and  replied  with  feminine  lev- 
ity :  "  It  is  evident  that  they  consider  law  as  the 
foundation  of  things ;  since  they  have  placed  these 


A    VISIT  TO   THE   CAPITOL.  159 

law-books  in  the  basement  rooms  of  this  vast 
Capitol." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Benedetto,  "  that  these 
Americans,  who  are  so  grandiose  in  many  of  their 
ideas,  should  not  provide  a  suitable  place  for  their 
books." 

"  Are  all  these  books  authorities  to  be  studied  by 
the  legal  profession  ?  "  asked  Madame  ;  "  it  seems 
to  me  no  one  life  is  long  enough." 

"Ah,"  said  Benedetto,  "  there  is  a  world  of  musti- 
ness,  which  might  safely  be  set  aside.  It  is  anom- 
alous that  this  people,  who  rejected  precedents 
when  they  framed  a  political  constitution,  yet  held 
fast  in  their  judicial  system,  to  a  great  extent,  to 
the  old  English  forms  of  Common  Law ;  and  they 
have  thus  burdened  themselves  with  much  that  is 
effete,  which  should  have  been  dispensed  with.  By 
the  system  here  practised  and  in  vogue,  it  takes 
half  a  lifetime  to  discover  what  is  usage,  to  define 
precedent.  The  living  forms  are  buried  under  the 
weight  of  the  past." 

"  Why  cannot  cases  be  decided  upon  a  law  of 
common  sense  and  right  ?  "  asked  Madame. 

"  Nothing  could  be  better,"  said  Benedetto. 
"  Call  your  right  equity,  and  it  would  suffice.  This 


160  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

Law  Library  is  constantly  consulted  by  the  Su- 
preme Court.  Shall  we  look  at  these  Judges  of 
Ultimate  Appeal  ?  "  continued  he; 

"  Ultimate  Appeal,"  said  Madame,  "  why  that 
sounds  godlike." 

Benedetto  was  pleased.  He  replied  :  "  Madame 
is  a  delightful  companion,  with  her  fine  perceptions. 
In  due  time,  and  with  scholastic  training,  she  might 
even  make  a  philosopher." 

"  How  original ! "  exclaimed  she ;  "I  am  enchanted 
with  the  idea ;  but  where  find  the  master  ? " 

"Behold  him?"  said  Benedetto,  bowing. 

"  Father  and  mentor  ? "  enquired  she. 

"  Not  exactly,"  replied  Benedetto,  —  "  maestro 
and  pupil.  There  are  sequences.  Does  madame 
accept  ? " 

At  these  words  he  fixed  his  splendid  eyes  upon 
her,  and  Florence  De  Beaulieu  was  powerless  as  a 
child,  under  the  magnetic  will  of  this  oldish,  ugly 
man.  There  was  a  hesitancy ;  her  voice  fell,  for 
the  extended  hand  had  clasped  hers,  awaiting  a 
reply. 

"  I  am  your  pupil,"  answered  she,  "  even  as  one 
who  sitteth  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel ; "  and  she  with- 
drew her  hand. 


A    VISIT  TO   THE   CAPITOL.  l6l 

"  Philosophy  shall  open  her  arms  to  thee,  O  be- 
nign searcher  of  wisdom,"  said  he,  in  a  full,  fervent 
tone,  as  if  he  were  imparting  a  sacerdotal  blessing. 
Nor  did  she  feel  inclined  to  laugh,  as  was  her  wont, 
for  she  was,  in  spite  of  herself,  impressed  with  his 
solemnity  of  manner. 

"  And  here  we  are,"  said  he,  "  at  the  very  thresh- 
old of  that  tribunal  where  even  American  license 
stands  rebuked.  Ah,  we  have  come  too  late  to 
witness  the  opening  of  the  court  and  see  the 
Justices  take  their  seats.  As  the  marshal  cries 
Oyez,  one  forgets  that  this  is  the  New  World.  This 
seems  to  be  one  of  the  few  usages  of  ancient  times 
retained  in  America." 

"  How  curious  too,"  whispered  the  feminine 
voice,  "  to  see  these  Republicans  wear  gowns." 

"  It  all  comes  from  the  dignity  of  the  science  of 
jurisprudence,"  said  Benedetto  proudly. 

As  they  silently  took  the  seats  provided  for  them, 
the  fervid  Choate  was  speaking.  What  an  astound- 
ing flow  of  oratory,  what  vivid  word-painting,  what 
pliancy  and  strength,  what  wealth  of  imagery ;  and 
yet  this  eloquence  was  firmly  welded  into  the  body 
of  a  close  law  argument.  During  the  twenty  min- 
utes that  he  occupied  the  attention  of  the  court, 


1 62  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

his  words  were  caught  with  breathless  eagerness  ; 
and  when  the  last  sounds  of  those  wondrous  utter- 
ances had  died  away,  the  multiplied  echoes  still 
lingered  in  every  heart.  As  Mr.  Choate  resumed 
his  seat,  and  Reverdy  Johnson  rose  to  reply,  the 
Chevalier  and  Madame  left  the  court-room. 

"  What  a  magnificent  language  the  English  is, 
handled  as  we  have  just  heard  it,"  exclaimed 
Benedetto  ;  "  it  has  a  ring  of  mastery  and  dominion 
in  it." 

"  I  rather  love  the  liquid  music  of  the  Italian," 
said  Madame  ;  "  with  it  one  may  hope  to  pierce  the 
skies."  . 

"  But  with  the  power  of  the  English,"  said  Bene- 
detto, "  one  may  command  the  Universe,  and  sigh 
for  more  worlds  to  conquer  ; "  and  so  saying  he 
led  the  way  to  the  Congressional  Library. 

The  glorious  panoramic  view  from  the  balcony 
was  first  fully  enjoyed,  and  then  an  inspection  was 
made  of  the  Library. 

"  This  place,"  said  Benedetto,  "  is  altogether  un- 
worthy of  a  great  nation.  It  is  very  mesquine  as  a 
national  library  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  remarkable 
skill  of  the  librarian,  it  would  be,  in  its  present 
crowded  position,  a  confused  mass  of  cumbersome 


A    VISIT  TO   THE   CAPITOL.  163 

material.  These  librarians  are  men  whom  I  greatly 
respect ;  for  without  their  scholarly  skill  and  patient 
classification,  collections  of  books  would  be  of  little 
use  to  the  reading  public.  They  also  lead  lives 
more  nearly  resembling  that  of  the  savant,  than 
any  other  men  in  America." 

Madame  had  listened  very  attentively,  and 
thought  how  really  handsome  Benedetto  looked 
when  he  was  interested  in  what  he  was  saying ; 
and  when  he  paused,  she  said  in  her  most  engag- 
ing manner  :  "  When  my  maestro  shall  have  led 
me  far  enough,  I  shall  then  have  learned  better  how 
to  honor  the  litterateur" 

"You  have  advanced  far  enough  already,  dear 
madame,"  said  he,  "  to  cause  the  Litterateur  to 
admire  you." 

As  Benedetto  said  this  in  a  tender  tone,  the  man- 
ner and  intonation  meant  so  much,  that  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu,  who  was  not  prepared  to  receive  serious 
attention  from  him,  felt  embarrassed,  and  parried 
his  remark  by  saying  in  a  careless  way :  "  I  did 
not  understand,  Chevalier,  when  we  made  the  agree- 
ment as  regards  instruction,  that  compliments  were 
admitted  as  philosophical." 

"  Perfectly  so,"  said  Benedetto  ;  "  they  are  the 
effect  of  a  natural  cause,  in  your  presence." 


1 64  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

So  saying,  they  wended  their  way  through  the 
Rotunda,  where  both  were  too  much  absorbed  in 
thought  to  pause,  to  the  Diplomatic  Gallery  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  from  whence  they 
had  a  full  view  of  the  floor  of  the  spacious  hall 
below.  Scarcely  had  they  entered,  before  one  of 
those  eruptions  occurred  that  at  times  burst  forth 
in  this  branch  of  the  government,  which  springs 
directly  from  the  people,  and  represents  its  fac- 
tions. Now  and  then  this  popular  body  is  liable  to 
be  involved  in  some  sudden  cyclone,  which,  like 
those  from  the  fabled  Cave  of  the  Winds,  blows 
hot  or  cold  over  it,  —  at  times  convulsing  men 
with  rage,  and  again  with  an  irrepressible  spirit  of 
frolic  ;  so  that  some  lookers-on  have  compared  the 
House,  on  such  occasions,  to  a  set  of  unruly  school- 
boys. 

The  Honorable  Mr.  Ignotus  was  making  a  little 
maiden  speech,  asking  for  an  appropriation  for  the 
Mississippi  Levees.  As  he  stood  sawing  the  air 
wildly  with  his  long  lank  arms,  and  swinging  his 
ungainly  person  to  and  fro,  he  presented  a  very 
absurd  appearance.  The  high-pitched,  thin,  nasal 
voice  added  to  the  ludicrous  effect,  and  the  House, 
in  a  sort  of  caprice,  gave  him  their  attention  for  a 
few  moments. 


A    VISIT  TO   THE  CAPITOL.  165 

"  I  tell  you  what,  Mr.  Speaker,"  said  he,  "  at 
Waterproof,  where  I  live,  we  are  always  under 
water ! " 

Here  he  was  cut  short  by  a  burly  Texan,  from 
the  interior  of  the  State,  who  bawled  out  :  "  Mr. 
Speaker,  appropriate  a  baSl  of  whiskey  to  dry 
him  up." 

The  gavel  of  the  Speaker  came  down  to  enforce 
silence, —  but  a  blue-grass  Kentucky  member  was 
on  his  feet :  "  Mr.  Speaker,  I  vote  that  old  Bourbon, 
and  plenty  of  it,  be  given  him." 

Again  the  gavel  raps,  and  the  House  is  aroused 
to  the  absurdity  of  the  thing ;  when  Ignotus,  in  his 
shrillest,  highest,  nasal  twang,  calls  out :  "  Mr. 
Speaker,  I  guess  I  '11  take  the  old  Bourbon  straight, 
with  a  bis-kuit  and  a  bolony  sassage." 

A  roar  of  laughter  rose  far  above  the  pounding 
of  the  Speaker's  gavel,  for  the  House  was  for  the 
nonce  in  one  of  its  insubordinate  moods,  and  not  to 
be  so  easily  quelled. 

"The  sergeant-at-arms  will  do  his  duty,  and  ar- 
rest disorderly  members,"  shouted  the  Speaker. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  Mme.  De  Beaulieu.  "  Take 
me  away.  This  may  be  the  beginning  of  a  revolu- 
tion, of  a  coup  d'  Mat" 


1 66  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"  It  looks  serious,"  said  Benedetto,  puzzled  by  the 
seemingly  uncontrollable  uproar ;  "  perhaps  it  will 
be  safer  to  leave."  And  so  they  walked  rather  rap- 
idly over  to  the  Senate  Chamber. 

"  The  revolution  is  not  in  progress  here  yet,  any- 
how," said  Madame,  as  she  was  quietly  seated  in 
the  Diplomatic  Gallery  of  the  Senate ;  "  but  how 
the  Senators  do  stare." 

This  was  true,  for  the  entrance  of  the  handsome 
widow,  with  the  Italian  Minister,  caused  some  cu- 
rious attention,  even  from  this  dignified  body ;  and 
at  that  moment  a  very  dull  speech  was  in  progress, 
to  which  no  one  was  paying  the  least  attention. 
Among  those  senators  who  looked  up  was  Span- 
gler,  whose  face  became  very  much  suffused,  and 
who  appeared  angry. 

Senator  Roland,  who  also  happened  to  be  seated 
on  a  sofa  facing  the  gallery,  noticed  them.  He  at 
once  left  the  Senate  Chamber  and  joined  them  for 
a  few  moments  in  the  gallery,  for  he  liked  Benedetto 
very  much,  and  admired  Madame. 

Presently  however,  the  stupid  speech  was  over, 
and  there  arose  a  man  of  exceedingly  imposing 
aspect.  He  was  above  the  ordinary  stature,  and 
bore  himself  with  an  air  of  superiority  which  de- 


A    VISIT  TO   THE  SMITHSONIAN.  167 

fied  criticism  and  courted  antagonism.  At  one 
moment  you  would  declare  that  he  was  insufferably 
pompous,  at  another  that  he  was  magisterial ;  but 
whether  the  Senate  agreed  with  him  or  not,  the 
effect  was  electrical.  He  was  at  once  listened  to, 
and  commanded  attention. 

"  I  beg  you  to  excuse  me,"  said  Roland  to  his 
friends  in  the  gallery,  "  this  is  the  Senator  from 
New  York,  and  I  must  hear  what  he  has  to  say." 
With  these  words  he  returned  to  his  seat  in  the 
Senate. 

The  day  was  bright,  and  the  air  bracing,  yet 
mild.  Washington  has  many  such  days  in  mid- 
winter, when  its  climate  is  often  most  tempting 
and  enjoyable.  The  drive  was  extended  to  the 
Smithsonian  Institute,  which  Madame  had  never 
visited.  "  This  building,"  said  Benedetto,  "  is  very 
pleasing  to  me,  with  its  mellow  coloring  and  its 
quaint  Norman  Architecture ;  but  they  do  so  many 
inexplicable  things  here,  in  the  way  of  producing 
architectural  effect,  that  I  would  not  be  surprised 
if,  at  some  future  day,  some  other  building  should 
be  erected  near  it,  that  would  spoil  it.  For  in- 
stance, suppose  the  monstrosity,  if  you  can,  of  an 
Oriental  structure  of  fine  proportions  being  placed 


1 68  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

beside  this  Norman  building.  The  juxtaposition 
would  ruin  both." 

"  That  is  an  odd  conceit,"  said  Mme.  De  Beau- 
lieu  laughing.  "Surely  no  one  could  ever  make 
such  a  huge  mistake  as  that.  What  makes  you 
suppose  such  a  thing  possible  in  any  future  time  ? " 

"  Simply  because  I  have  noticed  the  foolish  way 
in  which  they  dispose  of  all  matters  appertaining  to 
the  domain  of  art  in  Washington,"  replied  the 
Italian  Minister. 

"  Why,  how  so  ?"  inquired  Madame. 

" Par exeinple,"  said  Benedetto,  "there  is  no  es- 
tablished art-tribunal,  as  there  should  be.  For 
instance,  if  a  picture  is  to  be  ordered,  or  a  statue 
modelled,  or  a  new  public  building  of  unlimited  cost 
to  be  erected,  the  consideration  of  the  matter  is 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  committee  of  two  or  three 
estimable  gentlemen ;  but  these  very  men,  who  are 
doubtless  quite  distinguished  for  some  other  things 
in  which  they  do  excel,  know  nothing  at  all  about 
matters  of  art,  or  of  construction.  They  possibly 
are  ignorant  of  the  very  names  of  the  different 
orders  of  architecture.  They  will  be  just  as  likely 
to  give  out  the  contract  to  the  highest  bidder." 

"  But,"  said  Madame,  "  if  men  do  not  understand 


A    VISIT  TO   THE  SMITHSONIAN.         169 

the  principles  of  art,  why  do  they  accept  these 
positions,  which  require  careful  art  criticism  ?" 

"Because,"  said  Benedetto,  "no  one  knows,  of 
himself,  that  he  knows  nothing.  Such  knowledge 
of  itself  implies  some  acquaintance  with  the 
subject." 

"  But  this  is  a  sad  evil,"  said  Madame,  "  in  the 
beautiful  Capital  of  a  vast  nation,  for  it  must  ulti- 
mately fill  this  otherwise  magnificent  city  with 
mistakes  that  are  irremediable  ;  then  it  will  falsely 
educate  the  coming  generations." 

tt Bravissima,  fair  Sibyl,"  applauded  Benedetto, 
as  he  handed  the  clever  pupil  out  of  her  carriage  at 
the  door  of  her  hotel ;  "  the  Maestro  is  not  sure 
whether  he  has  taken  a  lesson,  or  given  one." 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  said  Madame,  as  she  bade 
him  good-morning,  "that  I  have  received  both  in- 
struction and  pleasure  from  your  obliging  courtesy 
to-day." 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE   LOBBYIST — THE     OFFICE-SEEKER  —  MRS.    ADE- 
LINE WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE. 

TT  was  Saturday  morning  ;  and  Mrs.  Wilton  had 
remained  at  home,  in  order  to  superintend  some 
arrangements  for  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  her 
guests  of  the  evening.  Her  long  experience  as  a 
hostess  had  taught  her  that  neither  wealth,  nor  the 
skill  of  trained  servants,  can  give  those  indefinable 
touches  of  grace  which  a  cultivated  woman  knows 
so  well  how  to  add.  Taste  cannot  be  purchased. 

She  was  alone  in  the  library,  the  young  ladies 
having  gone  out  for  a  walk,  when  a  servant  handed 
her  a  card.  Perceiving  that  it  was  that  of  a  stran- 
ger, she  sent  a  message  of  excuse,  as  she  was  very 
much  engaged.  The  servant  presently  returned, 
saying  that  Mr.  Hunnell  would  be  happy  to  await 
her  pleasure,  but  begged  to  be  received,  as  his  bus- 
iness was  of  a  very  important  nature,  and  he  would 
only  detain  her  a  moment. 


THE  LOBBYIST.  171 

"  This  is  very  annoying,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  to 
have  this  man  seated  all  the  morning  in  the  recep- 
tion-room. Show  him  in,  William." 

A  minute  later  a  middle-aged  man,  of  pleasant 
and  polite  address,  was  ushered  in.  He  at  once 
said  :  "  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons,  madam,  for  this 
great  intrusion  upon  your  time  and  patience,  but 
necessity  knows  no  law." 

Now  Mrs.  Wilton  was  very  kind-hearted,  and  she 
instantly  thought :  "  This  is  some  case  of  distress 
the  Lord  has  sent  to  me  for  relief,  and  I  fear  I  have 
been  too  brusque."  So  she  said  to  him  very  gra- 
ciously :  "  Pray  be  seated,  sir.  I  am,  it  is  true, 
much  engaged  this  morning,  but  in  what  way  can 
I  serve  you  ? " 

The  man  was  evidently  greatly  encouraged  by 
her  affable  manner ;  and  so,  throwing  off  the  hesi- 
tancy that  at  first  marked  his  words,  he  said 
openly  :  "  Mrs.  Wilton,  you  are  a  lady  conversant 
with  the  world,  and  familiar  with  Washington  life 
in  various  phases  of  its  ramifications,  and  I  feel 
confident  that  you  will  comprehend  what  I  wish 
to  say." 

He  paused,  but  Mrs.  Wilton  was  silent.  She 
had  often  heard  her  late  husband,  who  had  been  a 


172  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

statesman  of  great  prudence,  say  that  Silence  cut 
more  Gordian  knots  than  Words. 

Mr.  Hunnel,  meeting  with  no  response  pro- 
ceeded :  "I  am  temporarily  residing  'in  this  city, 
employed  as  an  agent  by  several  large  monopolies, 
to  attend  to  their  respective  interests.  You  may 
readily  infer  that  these  interests  involve  large 
amounts  of  money.  I  often,  indeed,  act  in  con- 
junction with  what  is  called  a  lobby,  in  Congress, 
when  we  find  it  needful  to  influence  various  and 
opposing  factions.  Of  course,  madam,  you  can 
readily  understand  what  advantages  a  man  like 
myself  can.  place  in  the  hands  of  those  who  employ 
me.  I  may,  it  is  true,  be  spoken  of  in  a  slighting 
manner  now  and  then  as  a  lobbyist ;  but  names, 
madam,  mean  nothing,  and  the  truth  is,  I  am  a 
gentleman  of  leisure,  and  one  who  uses  money 
pretty  freely,  to  bring  clashing  opinions  into  har- 
mony. My  dinners  and  suppers,  where  those  who 
ought  to  meet,  do  so  at  my  invitation,  are  a  Wash- 
ington institution." 

Again  he  paused  ;  and  Mrs.  Wilton,  who  began 
to  understand  that  some  nefarious  transaction  must 
be  involved,  replied :  "  I  fail  to  see,  sir,  in  what 
way  the  operations  of  what  is  called  a  lobby  can 
affect  me." 


THE  LOBBYIST.  1/3 

"  To  a  great  extent,  madam,"  said  the  lobbyist, 
"  if  you  will  so  to  have  it.  It  is  known,  Mrs.  Wil- 
ton, that  you  are  not  poor,  and  also  that  you  are 
not  wealthy.  Pardon  me  for  a  frank  statement." 

"The  subject,  it  seems  to  me,"  said  she,  "is 
scarcely  worth  the  consideration  bestowed  upon  it." 

"  We  of  the  lobby,  madam,  regard  all  that  sur- 
rounds a  lady  of  your  influence,  as  of  consequence. 
Now,  madam,  you  possess  precisely  that  which  it  is 
beyond  our  power  to  compass  without  your  aid. 
We  desire  at  present  to  obtain  a  contract  in  which 
a  large  sum  of  money  is  involved.  There  are  four 
persons  whom  you  can  influence,  who  could  bring 
this  about ;  but  they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  our 
lobby.  These  four  gentlemen,  we  are  told,  are  all 
special  friends  of  yours.  They  are  Senator  Roland, 
the  chairman  of  the  committee  in  the  Senate, 
where  the  matter  must  be  considered  ;  General 
Garfield,  chairman  of  the  same  committee  in  the 
House  ;  Mr.  Charles  Clysmic,  the  columns  of  whose 
influential  journal  are  needed  ;  and  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior,  in  whose  department  the  contract 
must  finally  be  made.  Madam,  these  gentlemen 
will  all  be  your  guests  this  evening.  They  are 
among  the  circle  of  your  particular  friends,  and  we 


174  ^    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

know  that  you  have  it  in  your  power  to  engage 
their  attention,  —  indeed  to  induce  their  consent. 
Fifty  thousand  dollars,  madam,  which  can  be  hand- 
ed to  you  in  bank-notes,  and  for  which  no  receipt 
will  be  asked,  will  be  gladly  paid  you  for  your 
successful  influence,  when  this  contract  shall  be 
placed  in  our  hands." 

The  lobbyist  paused.  He  had  mistaken  the 
calm  and  patient  listener.  Under  that  placid  and 
well-regulated  exterior,  the  strongest  sentiments  of 
disgust  and  indignation  were  aroused.  •  Most  men, 
hcoiest  men,  would  have  shown  the  lobbyist  the 
door,  and  perhaps  assisted  his  exit,  at  the  termina- 
tion of  his  proposition.  Mrs.  Wilton  had  great 
self-control.  She  detested  what  is  called  a  scene; 
and  she  knew,  if  she  gave  vent  to  her  exasperation, 
the  outburst  would  only  rebound  upon  herself.  She 
therefore  overcame  her  feelings  so  far  as  to  answer 
in  a  quiet  tone  of  voice :  "  What  you  ask  of  me, 
sir,  it  is  impossible  for  a  moment  to  consider.  It 
is  my  privilege  to  have  the  friendship  of  the  four 
gentlemen  whose  names  you  have  mentioned.  I 
can  fully  understand  that  they  are,  one  and  all,  be- 
yond the  power  of  a  lobby  to  influence  ;  nor  could 
any  one  hope  to  retain  their  regard,  and  make  such 


THE  LOBBYIST.  1/5 

an  effort  as  you  ask  of  me.  Moreover,  I  am  the 
daughter  of  a  military  man  who  gave  his  life  for 
his  country,  and  the  widow  of  a  statesman  whom 
the  lobby  could  never  reach.  I  must  be  true  to 
myself,  and  true  to  those  sacred  names  left  in  my 
charge." 

"Then  I  understand,  madam,  that  you  decline 
our  proposition  ? " 

"  Most  decidedly,  sir,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  rising 
as  if  to  show  the  way  out. 

"  How  corrupt  must  be  the  atmosphere,"  solilo- 
quized she,  "when  men  dare  to  invade  the  sanctities 
of  dignified  private  life  by  such  proceedings  ;  and 
yet,  if  this  thing  were  not  in  vogue,  how  could  it 
ever  reach  me  ? " 

At  this  moment  William  came  back,  with  a  small, 
rather  crumpled  card,  and  said  the  lady  seemed  in 
great  distress,  and  wished  to  see  her,  if  only  for  an 
instant. 

"  If  it  is  a  genuine  case  of  distress,"  said  Mrs. 
Wilton,  "  I  dare  not  refuse." 

A  small  woman,  in  rusty  mourning,  with  a  sad, 
pale  face,  entered,  and  at  once  burst  into  tears. 
Mrs.  Wilton  kindly  took  her  hand,  which  was  thin, 
and  felt  cold  through  the  black  cotton  glove,  saying  : 


1/6  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"  You  are  fatigued,  doubtless.  Come  near  the  fire ; " 
and  she  rang  for  a  glass  of  wine. 

"  What  is  it,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  that  you  wish 
of  me  ? " 

"Influence,  madam,"  said  the  poor  woman.  "  I 
am  a  widow,  and  poverty-stricken.  My  husband 
lost  his  health  during  the  late  war,  in  the  service 
of  his  country.  After  a  long  illness  he  died,  leaving 
me  with  four  small  children,  and  debts  incurred 
during  his  last  sickness.  Friends  advised  me  to 
come  to  Washington,  and  get  an  office  under  the 
government.  They  told  me  my  country  would  not 
fail  us  ;  but  I  am  here  now  a  month,  and  I  cannot 
even  get  a  hearing.  They  told  me  at  my  boarding- 
house,  where  my  last  dollar  must  be  paid  to-day, 
that  you  were  good  and  kind,  and  that  you  had 
influence.  If  you  will  only  say  one  word  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  he  will  give  me  a  place, 
so  that  I  can  support  myself  and  orphans.  O 
madam,  as  you  hope  yourself  for  mercy  hereafter, 
be  my  friend  ! " 

Mrs.  Wilton  was  much  moved.  She  looked  at 
the  papers  and  letters  the  woman  had,  and  she  said 
to  her :  "  I  will  do  what  I  can,  but  I  assure  you  I 
have  no  political  influence  whatever.  If  I  have  any 


THE  OFFICE-SEEKER.  177 

power  to  do  good,  it  is  social.  Offices  are  given, 
like  money  for  checks  that  are  honored,  in  consid- 
eration of  some  good  to  be  done  for  the  administra- 
tion. If  your  member  of  Congress  says  he  must 
have  an  office  for  you,  as  a  part  of  the  patronage  he 
thinks  he  is  entitled  to,  it  would  be  given  him." 

"Alas!"  said  the  widow,  "my  Representative 
assures  me  that  he  has  already  received  more  than 
his  share  of  patronage." 

"Then,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "call  on  Tuesday 
next ;  I  will  see  what  I  can  do." 

When  this  distressed  widow  left  the  house  Mrs. 
Wilton  again  soliloquized  :  "  The  constant  recur- 
rence of  these  cases  of  genuine  distress,  and  the 
appeals  for  aid  one  cannot  give,  certainly  mar  the 
comfort  of  a  residence  in  Washington.  How  very 
humiliating  it  is  to  me  to  receive  my  friend  the 
Secretary  this  evening,  who  comes  here  for  relaxa- 
tion and  respite  from  official  cares,  and  on  Monday 
morning  to  have  to  as'k  of  him  a  favor ;  for  as  to 
requesting  an  office  while  he  is  my  guest,  —  that  is 
not  to  be  thought  of.  Well,  it  is  a  mortification 
which  has  to  be  met  for  the  sake  of  charity.  After 
all,  my  good  doctor  is  worse  off  than  I  am  ;  for  he 
tells  me  that  the  office-seekers  who  fill  Washington 


178  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

have  a  list  of  his  patients,  and  make  life  intolerable 
to  him,  asking  his  influence  with  various  statesmen, 
whose  physician  he  is." 

The  brilliant  coterie  that  pleasantly  filled  the 
drawing-rooms  of  Mrs.  Wilton  every  Saturday  even- 
ing was  a  very  carefully  selected  company.  Only 
a  cosmopolitan  city  like  Washington  could  have 
given  the  material  for  such  an  assembly.  It  was 
at  once  a  neutral  ground,  where  contrarieties  assim- 
ilated, and  a  social  focus  of  intellectual  force. 

Mrs.  Wilton  designated  these  evenings  as  conver- 
saziones, not  from  any  affectation  of  foreign  cus- 
toms, but  because  that  one  word  seemed  best  to 
express  her  intention  and  principal  aim,  which  was 
conversation.  The  French  word  causeries  did  not 
define  so  large  a  field  for  the  interchange  of  ideas ; 
and  the  terms  soiree,  reception,  and  at  home  also 
failed  to  express  the  special  idea  she  had  in  view  — 
which  was  to  hold  a  drawing-room  that  should  be 
a  thought-nucleus. 

This  object  she  believed  could  be  best  brought 
about  ty  the  careful  selection  of  guests,  rather  than 
by  any  formal  association,  subject  to  martinet 
discipline,  however  profound  its  discussions  and 
investigations.  In  order  to  grasp  success,  her  de- 


MRS.    WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE.        179 

termination  was  to  recognize  merit  and  talent,  — 
to  aggregate  if  possible,  in  one  drawing-room,  the 
interests  of  the  scientist,  the  scholar,  the  writer, 
the  artist,  the  statesman,  and  the  diplomat.  One 
power  alone  it  was  her  intention  to  ignore  as  far  as 
possible  —  the  money  power.  It  was  an  Utopian 
ambition,  an  Arcadian  happiness,  —  to  strive  for 
freedom,  at  least  during  some  few  hours,  from  the 
sway  of  the  dread  Moloch  of  materialism  ;  and 
Washington  had  the  splendid  material  for  the 
fulfilment  of  these  high  aspirations. 

The  various  rooms  en  suite,  of  the  spacious  old 
homestead,  were  filled  with  the  mild  light  of  many 
wax  tapers,  and  the  cheerful  glow  of  wood  fires. 
The  guests  who  were  not  specially  invited  each 
evening,  but  who  came  like  a  circle  of  friends  to  a 
family  reunion,  were  all  assembled  by  ten  o'clock. 
They  were  not  over  one  hundred  in  number,  and 
soon  placed  themselves  in  various  groups,  where 
the  low  and  earnest  hum  of  conversation  —  such  as 
Mme.  De  Stae'l  has  defined  it  —  flowed  on  in  easy 
currents,  giving  expression  to  thought. 

In  the  music-room,  Amabel  and  Stella  had  col- 
lected round  them  those  of  younger  and  more 
frivolous  tastes,  and  musical  amateurs.  Yet  not 


ISO  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

all  were  frivolous,  for  the  sparkling  Clysmic  was 
talking  with  Stella  about  music,  she  having  just 
risen  from  the  piano,  out  of  whose  chords  she  had 
brought  forth,  with  much  expression,  some  of 
Mendelssohn's  Songs  Without  Words. 

"  Although  Washington,"  said  Clysmic,  "  cannot 
be  said  to  be  a  musical  city,  or  to  revel  in  a  musical 
atmosphere,  yet  there  are  many  homes,  such  indeed 
as  this,  which  are  musical  centres,  where  the  classi- 
cal in  harmony  is  cultivated  and  appreciated." 

"  Your  remarks  are  so  brilliant,  Mr.  Clysmic," 
said  Stella,  "  that  I  must  answer  you  by  a  thought 
of  Chopin  ; "  and  turning  once  more  to  the  piano, 
she  dashed  off  one  of  those  glittering  compositions 
which,  like  a  splendid  diamond,  refract  and  re- 
flect the  light  in  all  directions. 

"  I  am  entranced,"  said  M.  le  Vicomte  De  La 
Tour,  in  genuine  admiration,  as  the  petite  brunette 
concluded.  "  I  am  in  something  more  than  the 
seventh  heaven  of  delight,  mademoiselle,  by  your 
rendering  of  Chopin,  —  I  am  once  again  in 
Paris." 

"Oh,  M.  De  La  Tour,"  said  Stella,  laughing, 
"  are  you  not  afraid  it  will  be  the  only  heaven  you 
will  ever  reach  ? " 


MRS.   WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE.        l8l 

The  Frenchman  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Evi- 
dently there  was  some  shadow  which  flitted  across 
his  memory. 

Mr.  Clarence  Meredith  had  stood  near  Amabel 
and  her  harp,  and  at  last  he  was  happy,  for  Prince 
Nikolaus  was  not  there. 

"  The  Welsh  melodies  of  Miss  Wilton's  harp  are 
more  poetical  to  me  than  the  utmost  brilliancy  of 
Chopin,"  said  he.  "  May  we  not  have  them  ? " 

As  Amabel,  standing  gracefully  beside  her  harp, 
gave  these  delicious  melodies,  Prince  Nikolaus  en- 
tered. Then  again  the  shadow  fell  on  the  soul  of 
Meredith. 

Meantime  Mrs.  Wilton  was  serving  tea,  and  a 
group  of  friends  were  conversing  around  her,  some 
standing,  some  seated.  It  was  a  part  of  Mrs. 
Wilton's  plan  to  dispense  with  a  formal  supper, 
and  to  assign  no  special  time  to  the  refreshment- 
table,  but  to  give  it  its  proper  place  as  an  unim- 
portant accessory.  In  this  way,  the  simple  enter- 
tainment offered  by  the  hostess  could  be  found  in 
the  dining-room  during  the  entire  evening,  to  be 
partaken  of  at  such  time  as  was  agreeable  to  each 
individual  present. 

Two  very  remarkable  and  perfectly  dissimilar 


1 82  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

men  were  seated  near  Mrs.  Wilton,  drinking  their 
tea,  and  both  gesticulating  with  vehemence,  for  of 
course  there  was  disagreement.  The  one  was  Count 
Adam  Gurowski,  of  romantic  old  Poland's  royal 
blood,  whose  obese  figure  supported  a  bald  head, 
so  filled  with  combative  bumps  that  only  the  great 
knowledge  of  a  thousand  other  subjects,  crowded 
into  it,  kept  him  within  bounds.  He  wore  blue 
goggles,  and  when  not  excited,  had  an  air  of  sang- 
froid, as  if  he  defied  fickle  fortune. 

The  other  was  Alexander  Dimitry,  the  scholar, 
the  litterateur.  He  was  a  man  of  large  stature, 
and  had  a  massive  head,  which  looked  gigantic,  with 
its  covering  of  masses  of  black  hair.  His  every 
word  and  gesture  was  fervid  as  his  southern  sun, 
and,  one  might  add,  as  magnificent  as  its  ardent 
rays. 

Both  these  men  were  arrogant  and  dogmatic. 
They  could  scarce  be  otherwise,  with  their  peculiar 
temperaments.  They  were  princes  of  intellect,  and 
they  must  both  needs  rule  in  their  respective  do- 
mains. Count  Gurowski  had  written  books  well,  in 
five  different  tongues,  and  Dimitry  could  speak 
fluently  as  many  more. 

Presently  the  very  china  on  the  tea-board  rattled, 


MRS.  WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE.        183 

as  the  southerner  brought  down  his  closed  hand 
with  the  dictum  :  "  It  is  so.  I  say  it  —  I,  Alexan- 
der Dimitry,  in  the  pride  of  my  intellect." 

The  Count  was  about  to  make  an  angry  reply, 
when  Mrs.  Wilton  hastened  to  the  rescue,  plead- 
ing :  "  I  crave  a  truce,  messieurs,  this  is  neutral 
ground." 

Baron  Skerowski,  who  had  followed  Prince  Niko- 
laus  to  the  soiree,  stood  near,  and,  as  Count 
Gurowski  turned  away,  said  with  a  sneer :  "  I  am 
glad  he  is  not  in  Russia,  for  he  is  the  wet-nurse  of 
revolution." 

The  stately  Sumner  was  soon  in  earnest  conver- 
sation with  the  Count,  and  -their  sentiments  evi- 
dently agreed.  Presently,  the  Chevalier  Benedetto 
entered,  escorting  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  and  they 
went  to  the  music-room,  for  she  had  a  fine  con- 
tralto voice ;  and  was  there  ever  an  Italian  who  did 
not  love  music  ? 

As  to  the  different  toilets,  it  was  a  peculiarity 
of  these  conversaziones,  that  no  one  ever  spoke  of 
dress.  Fashion  was  relegated  to  her  proper  sphere 
as  a  simple  accessory.  This  was  Arcadia  ! 

Presently  there  was  a  little  stir,  as  a  servant,  in 
an  undertone,  announced  a  name  to  Mrs.  Wilton, 


1 84  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

who  quickly  arose  to  meet  the  guest,  who  was 
rolled  in  on  an  invalid's  chair.  It  was  Alexander 
H.  Stephens. 

"  I  am  greatly  favored,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  who 
placed  his  chair  in  the  best  position,  "  but  I  con- 
sider the  favor  as  one  shown  to  my  father's  child, 
not  to  me." 

"  Certainly,  madam,"  said  this  wonderful  man, 
"  it  is  not  my  habit  to  frequent  drawing-rooms  ;  and 
that  I  am  here  is  proof  of  the  force  of  the  attrac- 
tion." As  he  spoke,  his  marvellous  eyes  were  like 
burning  lights.-  They  seemed  to  consume  the 
puny,  attenuated  frame. 

There  advanced  to  meet  him  the  graceful  Healy, 
the  one  artist  perhaps,  above  all  others,  who  has  had 
a  host  of  great  men  as  sitters  ;  and  there  was  the 
intellectual  giant,  Orestes  Brownson,  with  a  superb 
head  and  flowing  beard,  such  as  in  art  are  given 
to  St.  Peter.  He  and  Healy  were  converts  to 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  were  soon  in  close 
conversation. 

Senator  Roland  brought  with  him  a  literary 
friend  from  Boston,  who  was  delighted  to  be 
presented  to  the  great  tragic  actress,  Charlotte 
Cushman. 


MRS.   WILTON'S  CONVERSAZIONE.       "185 

"  Have  you  not,"  said  Senator  Roland  to  her, 
"  found  it  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  create 
any  illusion  on  so  small  a  stage  as  that  of  our 
Washington  theatre  ? " 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Senator,"  said  she  ;  "  I  find 
the  effort  much  greater  and  more  exhausting  with- 
in such  narrow  space ;  and  where  I  am  so  ill- 
sustained,  for  I  myself  must  seek  to  create  the 
illusion  in  such  a  case."  As  she  spoke,  her  large 
and  flexible  mouth  gave  earnestness  to  every  sylla- 
ble, as  with  a  graceful  gesture  she  placed  her  hand 
upon  her  heart,  as  if  seeking  there  all  the  needed 
magnetic  power. 

A  moment  later,  and  the  ever-welcome  and  hon- 
ored hero  of  Sumter,  General  Robert  Anderson, 
was  engaged  in  conversation  with  the  Senator.  No 
one,  in  looking  upon  his  benevolent  and  placid  face, 
would  ever  dream  of  the  grim  resolution  needed 
for  those  awful  hours,  when  he  and  his  little 
band  stood  face  to  face  with  death,  and  the  world 
looking  on. 

Near  by  stood  the  accomplished  Bristed  Astor, 
always  so  clever,  witty,  and  original.  He  was  quite 
in  his  element,  with  a  little  circle  of  listeners  sur- 
rounding him. 


1 86  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

Turning  over  a  fresh  quid  of  tobacco  in  his 
mouth,  with  one  hand  thrust  deep  into  his  trousers- 
pocket,  and  the  other  arm  swinging  loosely  and  at 
random,  and  talking  with  Alexander  H.  Stephens, 
was  the  famous  Crittenden  of  Kentucky,  with  his 
large,  liquid,  beautiful,  black  eyes,  and  his  careless 
mien  of  ineffable  grace.  He  was  a  rough  diamond, 
from  whose  lustrous  bulk,  millions  of  rays  were 
diffused  ;  but  a  clearer  intellect  and  a  more  kindly 
heart  were  never  united. 

Stephens  was  telling  Crittenden  an  anecdote  of 
the  old  Florida  times.  This  interested  General 
Anderson,  whose  father-in-law  —  that  splendid  old 
soldier,  General  Clinch  of  Georgia  —  figured  largely 
in  the  Florida  War.  Afterwards,  however,  General 
Clinch  turned  his  sword  into  a  pruning-hook,  and 
came  on  to  Washington  as  a  member  of  Congress. 

Stephens  said:  "General  Andrew  Jackson  de- 
tailed a  Mr.  Jackson  to  arrest  the  then  governor  of 
Florida,  who  was  a  grave  hidalgo.  His  Spanish 
excellency  had  in  his  possession  some  papers  that 
Old  Hickory  was  determined  to  have,  and  conse- 
quently claimed  ought  to  be  given  up  to  him. 
When  the  governor  was  told  to  surrender,  he  asked 
permission  to  retire  for  a  few  minutes ;  and  then  he 


MRS.   WILTON1  S  CONVERSAZIONE.         187 

reappeared,  adorned  with  different  orders  he  had 
received,  especially  one  bestowed  upon  him  at  Wa- 
terloo,—  for  he  was  an  old  soldier.  Being  then  in 
full  regalia,  he  formally  offered  his  sword  to  Gene- 
ral Jackson.  The  General  had  an  interpreter,  and 
they  bungled  along  until  it  was  discovered  that  he 
was  a  misinterpreter,  and  an  ignoramus  as  to  Span- 
ish. Then  Jackson  flew  into  a  prodigious  rage, 
and  savagely  addressing  the  poor,  would-be  linguist, 
said :  '  By  the  Eternal,  did  you  not  know,  sir,  that 
it  is  likely  to  cost  you  your  ears  to  deceive  me  ? ' 
Thereupon  Jackson  declined  to  receive  the  sword, 
and  tried  in  vain  to  explain  that  it  was  a  civil  and 
not  a  military  surrender  that  was  demanded.  But 
the  old  don  was  obstinate,  and  would  only  make  a 
military  surrender ;  and  Jackson,  again  losing  his 
temper,  ordered  him  to  be  hurried  off  to  the  cala- 
boose, where  he  was  held  in  durance  vile,  while  his 
papers  were  deliberately  investigated." 

This  anecdote  reminded  Crittenden  of  Jackson's 
indignation  when  some  one  in  the  House  called  him 
"  a  toothless  tiger,"  when  he  was  President.  Mrs. 
Wilton,  who  was  much  attached  to  both  Stephens 
and  Crittenden,  they  having  been  fast  friends  of 
her  honored  father,  now  joined  the  group,  bringing 


1 88  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

with  her  a  nobleman  of  distinction,  who  happened 
to  be  in  Washington.  This  gentleman,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  French  Academy,  sought,  on  all 
occasions,  to  inform  himself.  Upon  being  intro- 
duced to  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  the  savant  asked  : 
"  Whom,  Mr.  Stephens,  do  you  consider  the  most 
eloquent  among  American  orators  ?  " 

"Your  question,  M.  le  Comte,"  said  Stephens, 
"  requires,  perhaps,  a  nicer  discrimination  than  can 
be  made  in  a  few  words.  It  is  true  that  I  have 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  hear,  perhaps,  the  greatest 
of  the  public  men  of  my  own  time.  I  have  listened 
to  the  masterly  speeches  of  Webster,  Clay,  Calhoun, 
and  many  others  ;  but  for  genuine  eloquence,  for 
the  spontaneous  outburst  of  what  may  be  called  the 
native  oratory,  Louis  C.  Levin,  a  member  of  Con- 
gress from  Philadelphia,  had  no  peer." 

But  presently  every  one  paused  for  a  moment,  as 
Orestes  Brownson  was  demolishing  Professor  Glib, 
who  had  been  sneering  at  Christianity.  The  vapid 
Glib  had  skimmed  over  the  surface  of  an  ocean  of 
things,  and  had  an  insensate  jumble  of  diverse  sys- 
tems. He  prated  of  Atheism,  Pantheism,  and 
Theism.  He  picked  up,  like  a  magpie,  shreds  of 
the  great  debates  against  the  Gnostics,  Manicheans, 


MRS.    WILTON1 S   CONVERSAZIONE.        189 

and  Arians.     Finally  he    rejected   tradition  with 
Descartes,  and  he  reviled  with  Voltaire. 

Dr.  Orestes  Brownson  listened  for  a  time  with  an 
expression  of  utter  contempt ;  and  then  he  quietly 
said,  in  his  deep-toned  voice  :  "  Professor  Glib  wears 
a  coat  of  many  colors.  His  arguments  are  all  found 
better  stated  in  Voltaire.  They  have  been  refuted 
and  stamped  out  again  and  again.  He  rejects  and 
protests  until,  sunk  in  nihilism,  he  has  reduced  the 
universe  to  a  blank." 

"There,  Doctor,"  interrupted  Clysmic,  who  had 
been  an  amused  witness  of  the  demolition,  "  poor 
Glib  lies  dead  and  buried ;  let  us  put  upon  his 
tomb-stone : 

'While  he  lived  he  nothing  taught ; 
When  he  died  he  came  to  naught'  " 

General  Garfield,  who  had  been  a  listener,  could 
not  help  joining  in  the  general  laugh,  although  he 
had  rather  a  liking  for  Glib,  who  happened  to  be  an 
intimate  friend  of  one  of  his  friends.  "That  re- 
minds me,"  said  he,  "of  a  discriminating  inscription 
on  a  tombstone  in  Belpre,  Ohio,  which  reads  thus : 

'DIED  IN  THE  RELIGION   OF  JESUS   CHRIST,   AND 
THE   POLITICS   OF   WASHINGTON.'" 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SENATOR    SILVESTER    SPANGLER  —  THE     CHEVALIER 

PASQUALE     BENEDETTO MME.    DE    BEAULIEU 

MRS.   SILVESTER   SPANGLER   GIVES   A   LUNCHEON. 

OENATOR  Spangler  was  now  firmly  resolved  to 
obtain  a  divorce  from  the  faithful  wife  of  his 
youth.  He  had  hounded  back  remorse  when  the 
inner  fortress  of  his  soul  was  shaken,  and  the  tri- 
umphant tempter  then  took  full  possession,  and 
held  angry  watch  and  ward.  The  demon  had  hast- 
ened to  place  the  impress  of  the  burning  mark  on 
the  prize  which  was  his,  whereupon  the  baffled 
guardian  angel  retreated  in  dismay  from  the  sad 
spectacle  of  a  seared  conscience. 

But  sin  is  more  often  shrewd  and  wary  than  reck- 
less, while  innocence  is  apt  to  be  careless  and  unsus- 
pecting. This  man  exercised  over  himself  all  the 
self-command  necessary  to  carry  out  his  plan  of 
action.  From  the  primal  lesson  in  Eden,  we  are 
told  that  Satan  lay  in  wait. 


SENATOR   SP ANGLER.  1 91 

Spangler  had,  as  a  preliminary  step,  obtained  the 
assignment  to  himself,  in  committee,  of  the  widow's 
claim.  This  was  an  easy  thing  for  a  senator  to  do, 
because  a  colleague  would  scarcely  refuse  such  a 
request  if  made.  Indeed,  most  members  are  glad  to 
be  relieved  of  the  irksomeness  of  a  private  claim. 

Thus  obtaining,  as  it  were,  possession  of  this 
interest,  he  had  it  actually  in  his  power  to  advance 
its  progress  or  retard  its  consideration  indefinitely. 

He  now  began  to  make  daily  visits  to  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu,  ostensibly  to  consult  her,  and  make 
himself  familiar  with  the  history  of  her  claim.  The 
victim  was  indeed  in  danger,  for  she  found  herself 
imperceptibly,  but  none  the  less  surely,  drawn  under 
the  outspreading  shadow  of  the  deadly  Upas. 

These  visits  became  more  and  more  intolerable, 
as  the  man  felt  that  he  was  effectively  enwrapping 
the  object  of  his  desires  in  the  network  already 
spread  around  her.  So  does  the  malign  serpent, 
with  its  fixed  and  poisonous  gaze,  bring  down  the 
skylark  in  ever  narrowing  circlets,  until  it  falls  be- 
numbed within  reach  of  the  hissing  horror. 

At  first  these  visits  seemed  to  have  so  strictly  a 
business  purpose,  that  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  in  spite 
of  her  dislike  of  the  man  and  the  wearisomeness 


192  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

of  his  presence,  scarcely  knew  how  to  refuse  herself 
to  him,  or  even  why  she  should  do  so.  At  times  she 
would  say  to  herself  that  it  was  ungrateful  in  her, 
when  he  was  taking  up  so  much  of  his  valuable 
time  on  her  account,  and  without  promise  of  re- 
ward, to  be  so  annoyed  by  his  visits,  if  they  were 
frequent  and  stupid.  But  after  some  weeks,  the 
man  growing  bolder,  or  more  impatient,  commenced 
to  talk  about  himself,  and  —  what  was  even  more 
unbearable,  coming  from  him  —  of  herself,  and 
that  with  such  coarse  and  fulsome  compliments  as 
could  scarcely  be  received. 

Now  Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  as  we  have  before  stated, 
was  a  worldly  woman,  and  accustomed  to  much 
adulation  ;  but  she  was  refined,  spirituelle,  and  very 
sensitive  to  the  courtesies  of  gallantry.  She  had 
never  before  met  a  man  of  this  gross  type.  Most 
of  her  life  had  been  spent  in  Paris,  and  she  had  not 
been  trained  in  any  particular  austerity  of  manners  ; 
but  there  were  some  things  that  the  circle  of  her 
friends  respected,  at  least  as  to  all  outward  forms, 
and  marriage  was  one  of  those  institutions  which 
it  was  not  deemed  respectable  to  dissolve. 

Thus  several  weeks  passed  away  very  wearily  for 
her ;  and  she  often  had  passing  thoughts,  notwith- 


MME.   DE  BEAULIEU.  193 

standing  the  gay  society-life  she  was  leading,  of 
going  back  to  Carondale,  in  order  to  free  herself 
from  the  offensive  visitor ;  but  she  was  always  re- 
strained from  such  action  by  two  motives.  One  was, 
the  magnitude  of  the  money  interest  at  stake,  and 
the  importance  of  success,  not  only  for  herself,  but 
for  the  future  of  her  beloved  little  Percy.  When 
she  stroked  the  flaxen  curls  of  this  darling  child, 
and  saw  the  image  of  his  handsome  father  reflected 
in  his  dark-blue  eyes,  she  took  fresh  courage  to 
meet  much  that  was  repulsive. 

Then  again,  —  she  would  not  openly  confess  it  to 
her  own  soul,  it  seemed  so  absurd,  —  but  she  did  not 
exactly  like  to  lose  the  pleasant  hour  her  maestro 
gave  her  every  afternoon.  Benedetto  had  proposed 
that  she  should  read  Italian  to  him,  and  he  was  a 
delightful  teacher,  for  she  already  knew  something 
of  the  language.  Under  his  guidance  the  great 
Manzoni's  "/  Promessi  Sposi"  had  been  much 
enjoyed  ;  and  they  had  taken  a  higher  flight,  and 
were  closely  scanning  Tasso's  "Aminta,"  that  ex- 
quisite little  idyl.  So,  laughing  to  herself,  she  said: 
"  I  am  told  that  something  bitter  is  a  good  tonic  in 
this  climate.  Senator  Spangler  shall  be  taken  as 
the  morning  cup  of  quassia.  But  the  smile  was  a 
13 


194  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

painful  effort,  and  the  best  of  her  nature  warned 
her  to  be  wary  and  watchful. 

The  social  gossip  of  the  city,  and  the  .  society 
columns  of  the  papers,  had  for  several  weeks  been 
excited  over  the  wonderful  luncheon  Mrs.  Senator 
Spangler  was  to  give,  as  a  concluding  entertain- 
ment of  the  season.  The  invitations  were  out  for 
the  Tuesday  preceding  Ash  Wednesday.  The 
Mardi gras  was  to  be  celebrated  in  this  rich  man's 
house,  by  an  extraordinary  feast. 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  felt  compelled  to  accept  the 
invitation.  She  did  not  realize  it,  but  Senator 
Spangler  had  devised  this  entertainment  with  the 
expectation  of  impressing  her  more  fully  with  the 
dignity  of  becoming  Mrs.  Spangler.  He  fancied 
that  when  she  should  see  his  wife  presiding,  in 
this  gorgeous  fashion,  over  the  Mite  of  society,  that 
some  emotions  of  envy  might  be  enkindled. 

As  he  was  about  to  expend  a  fabulous  amount  of 
money  on  the  feast,  he  decided  to  go  on  the  Sun- 
day previous, — when  he  would  be  sure  to  find 
Madame  at  home,  for  she  rarely  attended  any 
church,  —  and  make  her  understand,  more  fully 
than  he  had  yet  done,  the  scope  of  his  intentions 
in  her  regard. 


MR.  SP ANGLER  AND  MME.  DE  BEAULIEU.    195 

So,  with  the  ringing  of  the  church  bells,  just  as 
the  Chevalier  Benedetto  was  ascending  the  steps  of 
St.  Matthew's  to  hear  high-mass,  Senator  Spangler 
passed  him  on  his  way  to  the  hotel.  There  was  a 
sort  of  gleam,  as  if  of  triumph,  in  Spangler's  eye, 
which  arrested  the  quick  attention  of  the  Chevalier. 
He  knew,  in  a  certain  way,  that  Mme.  De  Beaulieu 
was  annoyed  by  this  man  ;  and  he  felt  an  almost 
uncontrollable  impulse  to  turn  back  and  go  to  her 
assistance,  for  he  had  a  suspicion  that  Senator 
Spangler  was  about  to  call  on  her.  For  a  moment 
he  paused  as  Spangler  passed  on,  but  concluded  to 
enter  the  church.  "  I  am  but  a  poor  Catholic,  and 
know  little  of  prayer,"  said  he,  "but  I  will  pray 
that  the  Lord  may  protect  her  inexperience.  That 
Spangler  is  a  bad  man  ;  I  feel  sure  of  the  fact,  for 
I  have  studied  him  closely." 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  had  herself  one  of  those  inex- 
plicable premonitions  of  impending  danger,  so 
often  experienced ;  and  it  had  the  effect  of  bracing 
her  resolution,  for  she  was  a  woman  of  natural 
firmness  of  purpose.  She  had  thought  of  going  to 
some  church,  but  she  was  fatigued  by  the  dissipa- 
tions of  the  preceding  week,  and  her  inclination 
led  her  to  seek  repose.  When  the  card  of  Senator 


196  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Spangler  was  sent  in,  she  at  once  regretted  that 
she  had  not  gone  out. 

"I  am  most  happy,"  said  he,  "to  find  you  unoc- 
cupied, for  during  the  past  week  you  were  not  at 
home  on  several  occasions  when  I  called." 

"  This  has  been  a  week  of  social  dissipation,  Mr. 
Senator,  and  to-day  I  am  fatigued,"  said  she,  in  the 
vain  hope  of  sending  him  away. 

"  It  is  a  fortunate  circumstance,  Mrs.  Beaulieu,"  — 
he  had  never  learned  to  address  her  as  Madame,  — 
"  that  you  are  here,  for  I  have  much  of  importance 
to  say  to  you  ;  and  being  a  very  frank  man,  as  you 
know,  and  of  business  habits,  I  am  not  used  to 
roundabout  ways." 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  remained  silent. 

The  Senator  resumed  :  "  I  have  never  spoken  to 
you  openly  of  the  misfortunes  of  my  domestic  life. 
There  exists  an  incompatibility  of  temper  between 
Mrs.  Spangler  and  myself.  Now  this  state  of  things 
has  been  going  on  for  some  time ;  and  I  tell  her 
that,  since  it  cannot  be  expected  that  she  should 
grow  young  or  handsome  again,  it  is  not  in  the 
nature  of  things  to  look  for  any  remedy  except  in 
a  divorce,  —  an  absolute  divorce,  a  sheer  breaking- 
off  from  the  vinculum  matrimonii" 


MR.  SP ANGLER  AND  MME.  DE  BEAULIEU.     1 97 

This  was  twanged  off  after  such  a  pompous 
fashion,  that  Madame  could  scarcely  restrain  her 
old  temptation  of  laughter ;  but  she  did  manage 
to  look  grave,  for  she  had  sense  enough  to  know 
that  this  was  a  dangerous  man,  however  prepos- 
terous he  might  be.  So,  biting  her  lip,  she  still 
remained  silent. 

"A  divorce,  Mrs.  Beaulieu,  means  freedom  to 
marry  again.  What  do  you  think  of  that  ? "  raising 
his  voice  to  an  almost  triumphant  tone. 

"If  we  were  in  France,  Mr.  Senator,"  she  said 
very  calmly,  "  it  would  not  be  thought  respectable." 

"  But  we  are  not  in  France,"  answered  he,  quite 
incensed.  "This  is  a  free  country,  where  easy 
divorce  is  made  very  possible  by  our  laws,  and  mar- 
riages are  governed  by  other  considerations  than 
musty,  fusty,  so-called  religious  scruples.  We  now 
stand  in  the  light  of  the  nineteenth  century  !  Only 
a  few  old  fogies,  and  the  narrow-minded,  priest- 
ridden  Roman  Catholics,  who  do  not  dare  to  call 
their  souls  their  own,  are  so  bigoted.  Already 
the  laws  give  us  easy  divorce.  After  a  little,  we 
shall  advance  to  the  broader  platform  of  free  love. 
Do  you  not  approve,  O  fairest  of  beautiful  women  ?" 
exclaimed  he. 


198  A    WASHINGTON    WINTER. 

Now  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  was  skilled  in  the  phases 
of  what  society  calls  "  an  innocent  flirtation,"  but 
she  had  never  before  heard  any  one  express  what 
seemed  to  her  such  shameless  and  disreputable 
sentiments.  And,  without  meaning  to  be  sarcas- 
tic, she  honestly  made  known  her  feelings,  when, 
rising  to  her  feet,  with  an  indescribable  air  of  hau- 
teur, she  slowly  enunciated  :  "  Sir,  your  sentiments 
and  your  conversation  are  both  in  very  bad  taste." 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  highest  flights  of  romantic 
or  religious  expostulation  would  have  had  an  equal 
effect  upon  this  man,  who  would  have  sneered  at 
both  ;  but  that  he,  the  nascent  society-man,  he  who 
began  to  pride  himself  upon  being  a  swell,  should 
be  accused  of  bad  taste,  —  that  was  more  than  he 
was  prepared  for.  Why,  had  he  not,  now  these 
many  weeks,  been  under  the  most  careful  personal 
training  in  order  to  make  of  himself  a  man  of  taste  ? 
Had  he  not  taken  private  lessons  twice  a  week  of 
the  fashionable  dancing-master,  to  learn  how  to 
enter  a  room,  to  bow,  to  kneel  gracefully  ?  Yes,  he 
would  kneel  at  her  feet !  Then  the  barber  came  to 
friz  his  coarse  black  hair,  that 'it  might  wave  jaunt- 
ily ;  and  had  he  not  submitted  to  be  tortured,  and 
to  have  his  whiskers  tweaked  into  curls  by  an  im- 


MR.  SP ANGLER  AND  MME.  DE  BEAULIEU.     199 

pertinent  French  valet,  of  whose  gibberish  he  could 
not  understand  one  word  ?  and  had  he  not  Under- 
gone the  treatment  of  the  manicure,  so  that  his 
finger-nails  should  be  properly  pointed  and  manipu- 
lated ?  —  and  all  for  this  cruel,  ungrateful  woman, 
who  snubbed  him  with  bad  taste.  He  was  ready 
to  demolish  law,  order,  decency ;  but  he  dared  not 
throw  off  the  sway  of  the  tyrant  —  Fashion  ! 

At  this  moment,  when  he  experienced  this  mor- 
tification, the  Chevalier  Benedetto  entered,  and  he 
sulkily  bowed  himself  out. 

"  This  is  indeed  an  unlooked-for  pleasure,"  said 
Mme.  De  Beaulieu,  expressing  more  than  she  in- 
tended in  tone  and  manner,  so  immense  was  the 
relief  the  interruption  afforded  her. 

"  Your  kind  reception,  dear  madame,"  said  Bene- 
detto, "  makes  me  venture  to  speak  very  frankly.  An 
hour  ago  I  passed  Senator  Spangler  on  his  way  to 
call  upon  you,  and  I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the 
odd  idea  that  his  visit  involved  some  peril  to  you. 
I  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to  come  to  you." 

The  moment  was  propitious  for  the  cherished 
hopes  of  Benedetto,  for  Florence  De  Beaulieu  felt 
sad  and  unprotected. 

"Your  kind  thought  for  me,  my  good  friend," 


200  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

said  she,  "  may  have  been  a  true  presentiment.  I 
am  grateful  for  this  watchful  interest." 

"And  now,  fair  lady,"  said  he,  "may  I  ever  hope, 
or  dare  to  hope,  to  claim  the  right  to  protect  one  so 
inexpressibly  dear  to  me  —  one  so  absolutely  essen- 
tial to  my  happiness,  as  your  glorious  self  ?  Before 
I  met  you,  Florence,  I  led  the  life  —  the  peaceful, 
contemplative  life  —  of  the  philosopher.  I  proudly 
thought  that  I  knew  myself.  You  have  taught  me 
that  I  know  nothing  but  the  desire  to  please  you. 
There  was  a  time  when  you  accepted  me  as  maestro; 
behold  me  now  —  your  pupil." 

His  attitude  was  respectful  and  noble.  It  was 
not  the  appeal  of  the  passions.  It  was  an  outcry 
of  loneliness,  from  a  true  heart  that  had  discovered 
a  need  of  companionship.  He  did  not  even  seek 
to  take  the  clasped  hands,  as  she  stood  in  deep 
thought  before  him. 

"Chevalier,"  she  replied,  "I  cannot  lose  your 
friendship,  I  need  it  and  desire  it.  Your  compan- 
ionship has  made  me  happy.  Of  course,  I  am  lonely. 
Little  Percy  and  I  —  we  are  all  alone.  A  woman 
craves  affection.  May  I  say  this  ?  I  do  not  reject 
you  ;  I  do  not  accept  you.  Give  me  time  to  know 
myself  better." 


BENEDETTO  AND  MME.  DE  BEAULIEU.     2OI 

"  Florence,"  said  Benedetto,  "  may  God  make  you 
true  to  us  both.  I  shall  await  your  decision." 

"  My  dear,  kind  friend,"  replied  she,  "  I  trust  it 
may  not  pain  you,  but  I  have  determined  to  return 
to  Carondale." 

Benedetto  was  now,  indeed,  alarmed.  "What," 
he  exclaimed,  "  lose  you  in  this  way,  —  be  left  in 
darkness  and  utter  uncertainty  !  O  Florence  !  " 

"And  where,  Chevalier,"  asked  she,  "is  your 
vaunted  philosophy  ?  I  beg  time  for  calm  reflection, 
and  I  return  to  the  quiet  of  my  home  to  seek  it." 

"  I  must  not  complain,  fair  wisdom,"  said  he  ; 
"  but  place  a  limit,  beauteous  sibyl,  and  tell  me  when 
I  may  again  seek  you,  and  know  the  certain  fulfil- 
ment of  my  wishes  ?  " 

"  Benedetto,  I  shall  leave  Washington  three  days 
hence,  on  Ash  Wednesday.  You  may  seek  me 
when  your  Church  sings  its  Allelulias." 

"  And  meantime  you  condemn  me  to  a  Lenten 
season  of  ashes  and  penance,  before  I  can  again 
ask  for  the  resurrection  of  my  hopes  ?  " 

Florence  laughed,  —  the  first  ripple  of  sunshine 
for  that  day. 

"  Do  not  come  again,  Benedetto,"  said  she  ;  "  part- 
ings are  much  too  sad,  —  and  I  have  known  last 


202  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

farewells  but  too  often.  If  you  so  will  it,  meet  me 
at  Carondale." 

"  On  Easter  Day,"  answered  the  Chevalier,  re- 
spectfully kissing  her  hand  and  her  brow.  He  left 
her,  without  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  her 
eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 

"  There  is  no  alternative,"  soliloquized  she,  "  but 
to  leave  Washington.  Honor  and  self-respect  alike 
forbid  me  to  meet  that  villain  Spangler  again  ;  and 
I  must  have  time  for  reflection,  before  I  dare  decide 
what  destiny  has  in  store  for  dear  old  Benedetto. 
How  I  wish  I  knew  how  to  pray.  What  shall  I 
say?  O  God,  —  if  thou,  Jehovah,  art  God,  have 
mercy." 

When  Senator  Spangler  conceived  the  idea  that 
his  wife  should  give,  to  use  his  own  expression,  a 
swell  .luncheon,  he  determined  that  the  affair 
should  be  on  a  grander  scale  than  any  one  else 
had  attempted. 

A  card  was  engraved  as  large  as  an  Inauguration 
Ball  invitation.  It  was  gilt-edged,  and  each  corner 
was  adorned  with  a  design — one  being  the  remark- 
able Spangler  device,  with  the  pendent  noose.  The 
others  were,  respectively,  a  rosebud,  a  full-blown 


MRS.   SPANGLER'S  LUNCHEON.          203 

rose,  and  a  Martha  Washington  cap.  These  em-, 
blems  made  a  happy  allusion  to  the  contemplated 
classification  of  the  guests.  Three  hundred  of 
these  cards  were  sent  out.  One  hundred  young  girls 
were  to  be  seated  at  the  rosebud  table,  one  hundred 
young  married  ladies  at  the  full-blown-rose  table, 
and  one  hundred  old  ladies,  politely  yclept  matrons, 
were  to  be  conveniently  distributed,  for  purposes 
of  gossip,  at  small  circular  tables,  in  various  apart- 
ments. These  were  the  Martha  Washington  groups! 

The  preparations  for  this  luncheon  were  con- 
ducted upon  a  scale  of  magnificence  heretofore  not 
dreamed  of  in  Washington,  and  rivalling  similar 
displays  of  unbounded  wealth  in  New  York.  It 
was  intimated  to  the  convives,  that,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce a  more  perfect  scenic  effect,  the  costuming 
should  correspond  to  the  general  design  of  the 
pageant,  —  that  the  hundred  maidens  should  array 
themselves  in  filmy  gauze  of  conleur-de-rose,  the 
hundred  young  wives  in  deep  carnation  satin,  and 
the  matrons  should  wear  velvets  and  Martha  Wash- 
ington caps. 

At  one  o'clock  on  Tuesday,  February  6,  —  the 
Mardi  gras,  —  on  came  the  three  hundred.  The 
day  was  radiant  with  sunlight,  and  the  balmy  air 


204  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

invited  one  to  a  picnic  alfresco;  but  the  brightness 
of  sunshine  and  the  refreshing  air,  which  the  poor 
could  that  day  enjoy  as  well  as  he,  were  too  vulgar 
for  the  showy  banquet  of  Dives.  His  palace  was 
darkened ;  the  brocaded  draperies  excluded  all  light, 
and  the  hideous  yellow  glow  of  innumerable  gas- 
jets  threw  out  their  stifling  heat.  The  stunning 
blare  of  a  band  of  music  rose  above  the  deafening 
concourse  of  voices,  and  the  vast  collection  of 
cut  flowers  exhaled  an  overpowering  aroma. 

Mrs.  Spangler  was  arrayed  in  a  crimson  satin, 
which  was  not  a  displeasing  contrast  with  her  thyi, 
pale,  and  worn  countenance. 

Now  at  the  very  porte-cochere,  where  an  untrained 
son  of  Erin  had  been  stationed  to  open  the  car- 
riage doors  as  the  guests  should  arrive,  a  ludicrous 
little  contretemps  occurred,  which  sent  every  one  in 
laughing,  and  made,  at  least,  a  hilarious  beginning. 

It  happened  thus.  The  bog-trotter  was  flashily 
encased  in  yellow  knee-breeches,  top-boots,  a  red 
cloth  coat,  and  cocked  hat.  He  was  intended  to 
represent  that  creature  his  soul  loathed  the  most, 
an  hout  han  hout  Hinglisher.  But  Pat  got  the  bet- 
ter of  the  deception,  and,  in  spite  of  his  disguise 
soon  contrived  to  announce  himself  as  a  blather- 


MRS.  SP ANGLER'S  LUNCHEON.          205 

skite  of  an  Irishman.  Now  Pat  was  instructed  to 
stand  erect,  with  toes  out,  and  say  not  a  word,  but 
open  the  door  as  each  carriage  in  turn  stopped  the 
way.  He  had,  in  fact,  been  trained  in  the  stable- 
yard  for  this  one  act.  Yet,  when  the  festive  hour 
came,  Pat  was  too  elated  to  play  his  part  in  a  shabby 
way  like  that. 

"Wot,"  said  he  to  himself,  "am  I  me  mither's 
son,  Pat  Maloney,  the  wan  brother  of  me  sister,  — 
and  that  sister's  son's  wife's  niece's  cousin's  second 
cousin  bein'  akin  to  a  O'Connell, —  for  me  Pat,  to 
see  the  leddies  stip  out  so  grand  and  not  give  the 
wan  word  of  welcum  ? " 

And  true  enough,  as  each  fair  dame  stipped  out, 
Pat  leaned  forward,  and  with  an  encouraging  flour- 
ish of  his  hand,  and  waving  his  hat,  he  pointed  to 
the  steps,  and  cried  out :  "  Oup  wid  ye." 

At  the  drawing-room  door,  where  Mrs.  Spangler 
received,  the  usher  made  each  announcement,  ac- 
cording to  the  classification,  as  "  Miss  Black,  a  Rose- 
bud," "  Mrs.  Brown,  a  Rose ; "  or,  Mrs.  Young,  a 
Matron." 

Now  when  every  one  else  had  arrived,  and  Mrs. 
Spangler  was  about  to  lead  the  way,  Mrs.  Malaprop 
entered,  all  in  a  flurry  from  being  a  little  late ;  but 


206  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

the  usher  stopped  her  and  said,  "  What  character, 
madam  ?  "  She  replied  with  some  warmth  at  being 
detained :  "  Why,  no  character  at  all,  I  am  Mrs. 
Malaprop ; "  whereupon  the  literal  usher  bawled 
out :  "  Mrs.  Malaprop,  of  no  character  at  all." 

Thereat  the  Rosebuds  all  tittered. 

Mrs.  Malaprop,  not  heeding  what  had  transpired, 
hastened  to  Mrs.  Spangler ;  and  putting  her  hand 
in  her  arm,  they  walked  together  to  the  Rose  lunch- 
table,  where  Mrs.  Malaprop  seated  herself  at  the 
right  hand  of  Mrs.  Spangler,  without  troubling  her- 
self to  notice  that  it  was  a  place  assigned  to  the 
wife  of  the  Vice-President.  Mrs.  Spangler  had  not 
society  tact  to  remedy  the  mistake ;  so  Mrs.  Vice- 
President  had  to  take  Mrs.  Malaprop's  vacant  place, 
at  which  she  was  very  indignant. 

The  scene  was  certainly  a  brilliant  one  as  all 
were  seated.  The  central  Rose-table  was  in  the 
celadon  gilded  drawing-room  ;  the  Rosebuds  were 
massed  in  the  long  dining-room  ;  and  every  other 
apartment  was  filled  with  coteries  of  Matrons. 
Corsage  bouquets  of  roses  and  rosebuds,  and  of 
the  rarest  flowers,  were  presented  to  each  guest, 
and  the  menu  was  placed  on  hand-painted  satin 
fans,  which  were  artistic  marvels. 


MRS.   SPANGLER' S  LUNCHEON.  2O/ 

Scarcely  were  they  in  their  places  before  Mrs. 
Malaprop  quite  monopolized  the  conversation  around 
Mrs.  Spangler.  "  I  was  greatly  surprised,  Mrs. 
Spangler,"  said  she,  "  to  meet  your  cJief  de  cuisine, 
Peter,  in  the  street  the  other  day.  I  had  seen  the 
fellow  in  Paris,  where  he  was  footman  to  Mrs. 
Kickshaw,  a  friend  of  mine.  '  Why,  Peter,'  said  I, 
'what  brought  you  over  to  America?'  'To  make 
money,  madame,'  said  he.  '  Why,  my  friend  paid 
you  most  handsomely,  and  you  had  your  livery  fur- 
nished.' 'Mrs.  Kickshaw  paid  me  forty  francs  a 
month,  madame,  which  was  liberal  for  Paris  ;  but 
here  I  get  ten  times  that  sum.'  'Why,  you  astound 
me,  Peter.'  '  Pardon,  madame,  my  present  name  is 
M.  Alexandre  De  Montmorenci ;  I  am  chef  de  cuisine 
of  Mrs.  Spangler.'  '  Head-cook  ? '  said  I ;  'merciful 
heavens,  Peter,  you  know  nothing  about  cookery.' 
'I  told  madame,'  said  he,  'that  my  occupation  in 
America  was  to  make  money ;  and  I  found  that  a 
head-cook  with  a  long  name  was  a  profession  for  a 
gentleman.'  'Why,  your  dinners  must  be  utter 
failures,'  said  I.  The  rascal  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
touched  his  cook's  cap  to  me,  and  said  :  '  Madame, 
they  never  know  the  difference.  My  blunders  are 
covered  with  French  names.'  I  am  so  glad  to  let 


208  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

you  know  about  that  rascal,  dear  Mrs.  Spangler. 
I  mention  it  now,  for  fear  it  might  slip  my  memory, 
as  I  would  not  have  you  so  imposed  upon  for  the 
world." 

Poor  Mrs.  Spangler  looked  mortified ;  but  she 
answered :  "  Mrs.  Malaprop,  this  luncheon  was  not 
cooked  in  the  house." 

"  I  am  so  happy  to  hear  it,"  said  Mrs.  Malaprop, 
very  innocently ;  "  I  have  almost  an  insane  dread 
of  being  poisoned." 

There  was  silence,  and  the  voice  of  Mrs.  Igno- 
tus  was  heard.  She  was  seated  next  to  Mme.  De 
Beaulieu,  and  was  asking  her  questions  about  the 
mode  of  dining  in  Paris.  "•  What  do  they  have  that 's 
nice  beside  frogs  ? "  said  she. 

"  A  great  variety  of  petits plats"  answered  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu,  who  was  very  much  disinclined  to 
talk. 

"  Now,  do  tell,"  said  Mrs.  Ignotus ;  "  what  sort  of 
a  dish  is  that  ? " 

Mme.  De  Beaulieu  laughed. 

"  How  do  you  like  your  new  house,"  inquired 
Mrs.  Malaprop  of  Mrs.  Spangler ;  "  it  seems  to  be 
comfortable,  although  I  was  told  by  a  doctor,  that 
it  was  not  likely  to  be  healthy,  being  built  on 


MRS.  SPANGLER'S  LUNCHEON.  209 

marshy  ground.  Have  you  had  any  symptoms  of 
typhoid  fever  —  such  as  great  weariness  and  loss  of 
appetite  ? " 

Mrs.  Spangler  turned  a  shade  paler,  and  said  she 
was  well. 

Now  the  courses  were  tardily  served  ;  for  the 
rule  of  a  waiter  for  every  four  guests  had  not  been 
observed,  and  the  luncheon  dragged  fearfully. 

"  Oh,"  thought  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  my  head  will  surely 
burst !  Oh,  these  interminable  courses  !  It  seems 
like  a  large  restaurant.  Well,  this  is  a  sacrifice  I 
made  for  my  Rosebuds." 

Again  Mrs.  Malaprop  favored  Mrs.  Spangler  with 
her  original  remarks.  "  I  am  told,  Mrs.  Spangler, 
that  the  idea  of  these  lunches  originated  in  New 
York  among  the  parvenus.  It  is  said  that  there  are 
many  splendid  houses  in  that  city,  where  the  master 
of  the  house,  who  made  the  money,  is  not  actually 
presentable  in  society.  Sometimes  the  poor  man 
is  afflicted  with  such  a  brogue  as  your  Pat  Maloney 
has,  who,  by-the-by,  gave  me  a  good  laugh.  Then 
again,  their  grammar  sets  your  teeth  on  edge.  This 
luncheon  is  a  grand  invention,  anyhow,  to  keep  the 
horrid  men  out  of  sight."  Turning  to  Mrs.  Wilton, 
who  sat  near  her,  and  who  had  been  both  amused 
14 


210  A   WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

and  shocked  at  the  progress  of  the  conversation, 
Mrs.  Malaprop  asked :  "  What  do  you  think  of 
lunches,  Mrs.  Wilton  ? " 

"  Of  course,"  replied  that  lady,  thus  appealed  to, 
"we  all  appreciate  the  hospitable  intention;  but  I 
do  not  approve  of  any  form  of  entertainment  that 
has  a  tendency  to  divide  our  social  life.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  society  men  will  follow  our  example, 
and,  being  excluded  from  our  banquets,  will  prefer 
to  give  their  dinners  and  suppers  to  men  alone,  thus 
dispensing  with  our  company." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Mrs.  Wilton,"  said  Mrs. 
Sardinius  ;  "and  what  is  more,  I  think  that  any 
assembly  loses  its  chiefest  charm  where  men  and 
women  do  not  meet  each  other.  The  sparkling  wit 
of  our  women  is  greatly  set  off  by  the  more  earnest 
conversation  of  the  men.  I  am  told  that  when 
men  are  left  alone,  they  often  lack  refinement ;  and 
where  only  women  meet  together,  they  are  apt  to 
degenerate  into  trifling  talk  about  modistes,  the 
fashions,  and  domestic  matters ;  but  where  both 
sexes  are  present,  we  reach  the  highest  possible 
standard.  Witness  the  old-time  dinners  in  Wash- 
ington, where  the  conversation  was  a  feast  for  the 
gods." 


MRS.   SP ANGLER'S  LUNCHEON.          21 1 

"  I  am  sure,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Malaprop,  "  if  half 
what  I  hear  is  true,  society  should  hold  fast  to- 
gether. Why,  they  say  now,  that  whenever  a  man 
has  made  a  mint  of  money,  or  climbed  into  high 
public  station,  he  always  thinks  he  ought  to  have  a 
new  wife,  —  that,  in  fact,  no  woman  is  secure  from 
being  divorced." 

Mrs.  Spangler,  who  had  looked  very  tired  and 
pale  from  the  first,  at  these  (for  her)  cruel  words, 
turned  suddenly  very  white ;  and,  before  any  one 
could  help  her,  she  tottered,  and  falling  from  her 
chair,  lay  upon  the  floor  in  a  dead  swoon. 

"  How  dreadful !  "  said  one. 

"  Why  did  she  faint  ?  "  asked  another. 

"Oh,"  whispered  a  third,  "it  is  said  Senator 
Spangler  intends  to  seek  a  divorce." 

"  Then,"  said  a  fourth,  "  it  is  all  the  fault  of  that 
inconsiderate  Mrs.  Malaprop." 

That  fluent  lady  —  who  was  the  innocent  cause 
of  breaking  up  the  luncheon,  and  suddenly  dispers- 
ing the  company  —  in  dismay  declared  that  it  was 
just  what  one  might  expect,  spoiling  their  digestion 
with  twenty-four  courses  before  dinner !  It  was  too 
barbarous. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

PRINCE     NIKOLAUS     SKYBELOFF     AND     BARON 
SKEROWSKI  —  AMABEL    WILTON. 

/^\N  the  morning  of  Ash  Wednesday,  when  Prince 
Nikolaus  called  to  see  the  Russian  Minister, 
Baron  Skerowski,  he  found  that  personage  alone  in 
his  library. 

"  I  am  fortunate,  Prince,"  said  the  Baron,  "  to 
claim  any  of  your  much-occupied  time.  Washington 
seems  to  have  proved  most  attractive,  and  its  pleas- 
ures absorbing.  I  wish,  Prince  Skybeloff,  I  could 
add,  I  congratulate  you." 

These  words  were  uttered  in  a  frigid  tone  and 
formal  manner,  which  Prince  Nikolaus  felt  were 
intended  as  a  reproof ;  but  the  Minister  was  an  old 
friend  of  his  mother,  nte  the  Countess  Olga  Orloff ; 
and  Olga,  the  daughter  of  the  Baron,  was  named 
after  her,  and  was  her  god-daughter.  So  Prince 
Nikolaus  had  too  much  regard  for  his  good- will  to 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  213 

be  offended.  "  Doubtless,  Baron,"  said  the  Prince, 
"  I  require  to  be  admonished,  for  I  am  young  ;  and 
I  have  come  to  you  this  morning,  as  a  friend  of  our 
family,  to  seek  your  counsel." 

Now  Baron  Skerowski  knew  perfectly  well,  in 
advance,  exactly  what  the  nature  of  this  communi- 
cation would  be ;  for  he  had  watched  every  move- 
ment of  the  Prince  since  his  arrival,  and  was  well 
aware  of  the  first  day  that  he  had  dined  at  Mrs. 
Wilton's  ;  and  also  of  the  succeeding  family  dinner, 
which  had  led  the  way  to  the  most  assiduous  atten- 
tion, on  the  part  of  that  young  gentleman,  to  Miss 
Amabel  Wilton.  He  had  instituted  a  system  of 
espionage  which  had  kept  him  accurately  informed 
on  all  these  points  ;  but  he  had  not,  as  yet,  perceived 
a  way,  or  been  able  to  devise  any  plan,  which  would 
be  likely  to  break  up  a  state  of  things  calculated 
to  destroy  all  his  own  projects  with  regard  to  his 
only  child,  Olga. 

It  had  long  been  a  cherished  idea  of  his  that 
Olga  should  marry  the  Prince,  and  he  had  persuaded 
Mme.  Skybeloff  to  send  her  son  to  America  for 
a  change  of  scene,  and  other  advantages  to  be 
derived  from  travel.  He  had  supposed  that  the 
isolation  of  being  alone  in  a  foreign  land  would  lead 


214  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

the  Prince  to  accept  his  often-proffered  invitation 
to  make  his  home  at  the  Legation  ;  and  he  knew 
that  propinquity  had  made  most  of  the  matches 
attributed  to  heaven.  His  chagrin  had  been  un- 
bounded when  the  youngster  established  himself 
in  a  fashionable  flat,  joined  one  or  two  clubs,  and 
made  himself  at  once  perfectly  at  home  without 
the  Baron's  aid. 

In  fact,  of  late,  they  never  saw  the  Prince  at  all, 
except  at  the  Sunday  dinner,  when  he  was  duly 
invited  to  be  present.  Even  at  such  times  he  paid 
no  attention  to  Olga,  but  immediately  after  dinner 
accompanied  his  host  and  smoked  with  him  until 
Olga  served  the  ten  o'clock  tea,  after  which  he  bade 
good-night.  All  this  was  very  exasperating,  espe- 
cially when  coupled  with  the  certain  information  the 
Baron  had,  that  each  evening  found  him  at  Mrs. 
Wilton's,  where  he  could  at  times  be  seen  from  the 
street  without,  standing  by  Amabel's  harp,  or  prom- 
enading the  drawing-room  with  her,  or  reading  to 
her,  or  talking  with  her;  and  whenever  the  paid 
spy  obtained  any  glimpses  of  the  interior  of  this 
mansion,  it  was  evident  that  Prince  Nikolaus  was 
attracted  there  by  Amabel.  The  consoling  feature 
had  been,  that  there  were  other  gentlemen  who 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  21$ 

visited  the  house  with  great  regularity,  and  that 
Mr.  Clarence  Meredith,  of  ihejeunesse-dor/e  of  New 
York,  seemed  equally  attentive  to  Miss  Wilton. 
Then  the  young  people  were  always  in  the  presence 
of  Mrs.  Wilton  ;  and  although  quite  a  circle  of  gen- 
tlemen were  often  assembled  there,  the  utmost 
dignity,  and  careful  observance  of  all  convention- 
alities, existed. 

Baron  Skerowski  was  fully  aware  that  Mrs.  Wilton 
was  incapable  of  misleading  Prince  Nikolaus ;  and 
he  was  somewhat  puzzled  as  to  why  an  equal  con- 
sideration should  be  granted  that  gentleman  and 
Mr.  Clarence  Meredith,  with  regard  to  their  repeated 
courtesies  to  her  daughter.  The  Baron  had  but  one 
fixed  idea,  and  that  was  to  disappoint  Prince  Niko- 
laus, and  lead  the  young  nobleman  to  do  what  he 
felt  assured  would  be  best  for  him  in  Russia.  As 
to  the  measures  requisite  to  bring  about  such  a  state 
of  things,  he  had  not,  as  we  have  said,  been  able  to 
adopt  any  course  that  seemed  likely  to  be  success- 
ful. Now,  Prince  Nikolaus  was  about  to  consult 
him  on  this  subject,  and  he  would  not  hesitate  to 
avail  himself  of  the  advantage  so  unexpectedly 
placed  in  his  hands. 

"  Prince  Nikolaus,"  thought  he,  "  shall  not  marry 


216  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

this  American  waxen  beauty,  who  has  come  between 
me  and  my  most  cherished  wish  for  Olga's  future 
prospects  ;  but  it  behooves  me  to  be  wary,  and 
remember  my  old  diplomatic  subterfuges." 

These  thoughts  flashed  through  Baron  Skerow- 
ski's  mind  in  the  interval  of  some  minutes,  while 
Prince  Nikolaus  stood  leaning  against  a  marble 
pedestal  which  was  surmounted  by  a  fine  bust  of 
Gortschakoff.  This  handsome  youth,  in  whose 
veins  ran  the  hot  blood  of  the  wonderful  old  Tartar 
conqueror  Yengis  Kahn,  formed  a  splendid  study 
for  the  poet  and  artist  at  that  moment.  As  if  intu- 
itively aware  that  he  needed  the  protection  of  the 
head  of  his  House,  he  stood  beside  the  pale  pre- 
sentment of  one  who  would  have  nobly  rescued  him, 
had  his  horoscope  led  him  to  seek  the  confidence 
of  that  grand  nature. 

Prince  Nikolaus  stood  as  if  chained  to  the  spot 
by  some  presentiment  of  evil.  Did  he  feel  the 
influence  of  the  fatal  star  that  at  the  moment  domi- 
nated his  destiny?  The  Prince  was  not  embar- 
rassed, but  an  interior  feeling  held  him  back.  Ah, 
had  he  caught  the  gleam  of  triumph  from  under 
the  knitted  shaggy  eyebrows  bent  upon  him,  surely 
he  would  have  retreated.  Baron  Skerowski  knew 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  217 

the  lion-heart  of  the  boy  that  asked  for  counsel,  yet 
who  stood  with  folded  arms,  so  resolute,  as  if  about 
to  withdraw  the  proffered  confidence  ;  and  he  hast- 
ened to  implicate  him  ere  it  was  too  late. 

"  Prince  Nikolaus,"  said  he,  —  "  may  I  not  add, 
dear  Prince  ?  —  when  I  behold  you  as  the  reflection 
of  the  mighty  Gortschakoff,  standing  there  beside 
him,  I  am  deeply  moved  to  bid  you  bewared 

These  words  were  said  with  the  apparent  fervor 
of  loyalty  ;  but  when  the  final  beware  was  uttered, 
it  was  not  well  received.  Throwing  back  his 
haughty,  well-poised  head,  Prince  Nikolaus  re- 
peated, in  a  sarcastic  tone  :  "  Thanks,  M.  le  Baron 
Skerowski,  —  but  why  beware  ?  " 

The  Baron  at  once  understood  his  mistake,  and 
that  no  warning  as  to  Amabel  would  be  for  a 
moment  tolerated.  So  he  instantly  changed  his 
tactics. 

"  Yes,  beware,  dear  Prince,  of  yielding  to  your 
inclinations,  however  just  or  praiseworthy,  without 
first  obtaining  the  sanction  of  your  Emperor,  of 
him  who  is  the  valiant  chief  of  your  House,  and 
of  your  honored  parents." 

The  Prince  was  completely  disarmed.  He  knew 
the  danger  of  offending  the  Emperor,  his  Minister, 


21 8  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

and  his  parents,  and  he  thought  only  of  Skerowski 
as  of  a  true  friend.  The  evil  hand  was  now  over 
him. 

"Yes,  dear  Baron,"  said  he  in  a  winning  tone, 
advancing  and  taking  an  ottoman  beside  the  fau- 
teuil  where  Skerowski  sat,  —  "  your  clear  percep- 
tions have  divined  my  secret.  I  am  in  love  with 
her,  —  with  the  enchanting  Amabel.  How  must  I 
proceed  surely  to  win  her  ?  Let  there  be  no  mis- 
take ;  the  prize  is  too  alluring  to  be  lost  by  one 
false  step.  I  dare  not  trust  my  own  hot  head ;  and 
I  come  to  you,  dear  Baron,  the  friend  of  my  family, 
for  such  advice  as  your  experience  and  wisdom 
may  give  my  inexperience." 

"  You  do  well,  —  may  I  say,  my  son  ?  "  —  replied 
the  Baron,  "  to  come  to  a  well-tried  friend.  Have 
you  told  the  maiden  that  you  love  her  ? " 

"  Oh  no,  not  in  words,  —  only  by  the  ever-silent 
homage  of  my  worship,  and  by  that  fire  which  must 
burn  in  the  out-flashing  eyes  of  the  lineage  of 
Yerigis  Kahn,"  exclaimed  the  handsome  boy,  jump- 
ing to  his  feet. 

All  goes  well,  thought  Skerowski ;  the  game  is 
in  my  own  hands.  "Bravo,  dearest  Prince,"  said 
he,  "you  did  well.  The  offence  would  never  have 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  219 

been  forgiven  by  your  august  chiefs,  had  they  not 
first  been  consulted." 

The  poor  Prince  was  dismayed,  but  he  knew  it 
was  so ;  only  he  had  thought  to  conceal  from  him- 
self, as  it  were,  the  ugly  fact.  "  But  surely,  Baron," 
said  he,  "my  Emperor  will  not  object.  I  am  only 
a  second  son  of  my  father,  and  my  brother  is  well 
and  strong ;  and  I  have  heard  my  Emperor  say  that 
he  likes  America  and  Americans.  Did  not  the 
Czar  but  recently  present  the  American  Minister 
his  full-length  portrait,  an  honor  rarely  conferred 
upon  any  one  ?  Is  it  not  thought  well  to  cement 
the  friendship  between  the  nations  ?  And  is  not 
an  American  girl,  of  irreproachable  family,  received 
at  court  everywhere  abroad  ?  May  I  not  even 
hope,"  added  the  Prince,  with  the  sanguine  flush 
of  youth,  "  that  my  choice  will  be  pleasing  ?  Oh, 
if  Amabel  could  only  be  once  known  and  seen  ! 
She  would  grace  any  court."  And  then,  starting 
back  as  if  at  some  shadow,  — "  But  I  would  be 
jealous  of  having  her  seen!" 

"A  true  Skybeloff,"  thought  the  Baron;  "they 
are  the  most  jealous  of  husbands  ;  I  had  forgotten 
that.  —  Did  you  desire  my  counsel  ? "  he  continued 
aloud,  recalling  the  Prince  to  the  subject  of  his  visit. 


220  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

"Oh  yes,  dear  Baron,"  answered  the  Prince,  who 
like  a  young  boy,  in  his  first  dream  of  love,  had 
forgotten  all  but  the  charms  of  Amabel. 

"  Then,"  said  the  Baron,  very  slowly  and  impres- 
sively, "  my  advice  is  decidedly  this :  so  far  you 
have  done  well ;  and  now  trust  not  yourself  even 
once  again  in  her  presence,  but  prepare  your  boxes 
for  instant  return  to  Europe." 

The  Prince  started,  and  the  Baron  resumed  : 
"  Yes,  —  I  know  the  action,  for  a  lover,  is  heroic,  but 
it  will  be  all  the  more  appreciated.  This  is  Wednes- 
day ;  take  the  Saturday's  steamer,  and  go  directly 
to  St.  Petersburg.  Seek  an  immediate  interview 
with  the  Emperor.  Tell  the  Czar,  as  you  have  told 
me,  of  your  commendable  desires,  and  obtain  his 
permission  to  return  and  propose  an  alliance.  When 
the  Czar,  when  his  Minister,  see  that  you  have  first 
spoken  to  them,  they  will  know  that  you  are  true 
and  right  royal;  and  you  will  succeed,  I  doubt 
not." 

Prince  Nikolaus  was  greatly  agitated.  He  knew 
the  temper  of  the  Czar,  of  his  relative  Gortschakoff, 
and  of  his  parents ;  and  he  knew  that  no  disobedi- 
ence to  their  wishes  would  be  pardoned  on  account 
of  his  love  for  Amabel.  "  They  have  not  even  seen 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  221 

her,"- thought  he;  "how  can  I  make  them  under- 
stand how  surpassingly  lovely  she  is?"  And  he 
felt,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart,  that  the  most  an- 
gelic charms  would  not  weigh  one  iota  with  them. 

Then  again  came  the  fearful  trial :  "  How  can  I 
separate  from  her  in  silence  ? "  Not  a  word  ;  and 
leave  her  —  yes,  there  was  no  denying  it  —  to  the 
attractive  blandishments  of  a  rival.  For,  after  all, 
Amabel  had  never  said  that  he  was  more  than  a 
friend  to  her.  All  this  time  he  walked  rapidly  up 
and  down  the  library. 

Skerowski  watched  him  with  cruel  satisfaction. 
"  Fool,"  thought  he,  "  had  he  chosen  my  Olga,  all 
would  have  gone  well.  But  now  his  fate  rests 
with  me,  and  when  was  a  Skerowski  ever  known 
to  forego  a  revenge  ?  —  You  will  go  ? "  added  the 
Minister. 

A  look  of  anguish  was  the  response;  but  the 
heart  thus  mutely  appealed  to  lay,  indeed,  in  a 
savage  breast. 

Finally  the  Prince  stopped  and  said  calmly :  "Yes, 
I  will  go." 

"  And  not  see  her  ?  "  said  the  Baron. 

"  And  not  see  her,"  repeated  the  Prince,  almost 
mechanically. 


222  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"Brave  Prince,  true  descendant  from  Yengis 
Kahn  ! "  applauded  the  Baron. 

"But  I  will  write  and  tell  her  of  my  passionate 
devotion,  explain  to  her  that  I  go  to  my  superiors 
to  obtain  permission  to  take  her  back  as  my  bride, 
and  beg  her  to  make  no  decision  against  me  till  I 
can  so  return  a  few  months  hence." 

"And  when  will  you  write  that  letter?"  asked 
the  Baron  impassively. 

"  Before  I  sail,  Baron." 

"  What,  Prince ! "  exclaimed  the  Baron,  as  if 
in  astonishment,  "  and  you  dare  to  trust  that  all- 
important  letter,  upon  which  your  happiness  rests, 
to  the  hazard  of  the  proverbially  careless  American 
mails  ?  Rash  boy !  " 

Prince  Nikolaus  was  at  once  alarmed.  "What 
then  is  best,  my  wisest  of  friends  ? "  said  he. 
Skerowski  answered,  and  his  heart  leaped  with 
the  fierce  joy  of  vengeance :  "  Trust  your  sacred 
missive  to  me." 

The  Prince  seized  his  hand,  and,  as  is  often  the 
habit  abroad,  kissed  it. 

Again  Skerowski  urged,  "  When  will  you  write, 
mon  Prince  ?  " 

"  To-morrow,"  said  the  Prince. 


THE  PRINCE'S  DILEMMA.  22$ 

"  Do  not  delay,"  said  Skerowski,  in  an  impatient 
tone,  as  if  his  sweet  revenge  could  not  brook  any 
procrastination.  "  Here  are  writing  materials.  I 
have  an  engagement  to  meet,  Prince,  which  will 
take  me  away  for  half-an-hour.  Write  at  once  to 
your  innamorata.  Do  not  risk  sending  so  precious 
a  missive  to  me  by  a  servant ;  but  I  will  return 
presently,  and  take  it  myself  in  charge  from  your 
own  hands." 

"  Dear,  kind,  thoughtful  friend  ! "  exclaimed  the 
Prince,  as  Skerowski  left  the  room. 

The  next  Monday  morning  following  this  scene, 
Amabel  leaned  listlessly  forward,  supporting  her 
head  on  her  hand,  at  the  breakfast-table.  It  was 
ten  o'clock,  and  she  was  alone.  At  this  moment 
Mrs.  Wilton  entered,  and  sat  down  beside  her. 
Taking  the  hand  of  her  child  in  her  own,  she  said 
tenderly :  "  Are  you  quite  well,  my  darling  ? " 

"  Yes,  mamma  dear,  but  I  am  troubled,"  an- 
swered she. 

"  I  feared  as  much,"  said  her  mother,  now  holding 
the  loved  hand  in  both  her  own.  "  Last  Tuesday, 
when  Prince  Nikolaus  was  here,  —  well,  Amabel, 
as  your  mother  I  may  say  it,  —  his  every  word  and 
look  were  full  of  respectful  admiration  for  you. 


224  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Since  then  he  has  not  returned.  Have  you  heard 
from  him  ? " 

"  No,  mamma,"  said  Amabel,  "  he  must  be  ill. 
Should  we  not  send  to  inquire  ?  You  know  it  is 
now  a  month  that  he  has  been  our  daily  visitor, 
—  except  on  Sundays,  when  he  has  dined  en  famille 
with  his  Minister.  I  have  felt  apprehensive  of  some 
sudden  and  serious  illness." 

"My  Amabel,"  said  her  mother,  "has  he  ever 
declared  sentiments  of  affection  for  you  ? "  and  she 
pressed  the  dear  little  hand  caressingly. 

Amabel  looked  up  to  her  mother,  her  wide  blue 
eyes  quite  open.  There  was  perfect  confidence 
between  mother  and  daughter,  and  both  knew  it. 

"  No,  mamma,  —  nothing  in  words  ;  nothing  more 
than  you  have  seen." 

"  Thank  God,  my  child,"  said  the  mother  devoutly, 
"  for  he  has  gone." 

"Gone!"  cried  Amabel,  with  quivering  voice. 
"  O  mother,  where  ? " 

"  My  darling,  see  !  "  Mrs.  Wilton  held  the  morn- 
ing's paper  in  her  hand.  There  was  a  special  para- 
graph, which  read  thus : 

Prince  Nikolaus  Skybeloff,  the  accomplished  young 
Russian  who  has  added  so  much  to  the  brilliancy  of  social 


AMABEL'S   CHOICE,  22$ 

life  in  Washington  during  the  past  season,  sailed  on  the 
Scythia  for  Europe  on  Saturday  last.  His  return  is  not 
expected.  It  is  said,  in  diplomatic  circles,  that  he  is  about 
to  form  a  very  distinguished  alliance  in  Russia. 

Amabel  had  a  pure  and  pious  heart.  She  was 
sincere  and  affectionate.  She  scorned  everything 
deceitful,  and  her  whole  soul  revolted  against  the 
turpitude  of  the  Prince's  conduct,  as  shown  by 
these  actions. 

It  is  true,  he  had  never  offered  her  his  hand  in 
set  phrases,  he  had  never  said  that  his  affections 
were  not  engaged  to  another;  but  if  assiduous 
civilities,  admiring  regard,  undivided  attention, 
tones  of  the  voice,  tenderness  of  manner,  had 
any  meaning,  —  he  had  told  her  by  a  thousand 
tongues  that  he  loved  her. 

And  now,  —  well,  it  was  all  so  incomparably 
base,  that,  with  a  sudden  and  violent  revulsion  of 
feeling,  she  felt  that  she  scorned  him.  Then 
came  the  prayerful  act  of  gratitude  to  God,  for  so 
narrow  an  escape,  and  the  mists  already  rolled 
away. 

Mrs.  Wilton  looked  sadly  and  anxiously  at  Amabel 
who  sat  with  clasped  hands,  quite  motionless,  for 
some  moments.  Then  the  brave  girl,  crossing  her- 
15 


226  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

self  reverently,  for  she  was  a  convert  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith,  said  :  "  Thanks,  dearest  Lord,  for 
thy  tender  care  of  me." 

"I  thank  thee,  God,"  echoed  the  mother,  who 
was  not  of  the  same  faith,  "  in  that  thou  hast  given 
me  this  darling  child.  And  yet,"  added  she  sadly, 
"  I  feared  you  had  loved  him." 

"Mamma,  my  beautiful  mamma,"  said  Amabel, 
"  I  know  not  what  ideal  image  was  forming  in  my 
imagination.  I  now  reproach  myself  that  I  failed, 
with  firm  purpose,  to  know  myself.  This  Prince, 
who  bore  the  fairest  semblance  of  honor,  and  the 
good  and  gifted  Clarence  Meredith,  have  shared  my 
regard ;  and  although  I  have  asked  myself,  and 
prayed  earnestly  that  I  might  know,  I  did  not 
sound  the  depths  of  my  own  heart.  Both  these 
men,  I  fancied,  cared  for  me ;  and  I  thought,  how 
can  I  justly  discriminate  between  them,  if  I  forbid 
their  attentions  ?  Then,  mamma,  it  would  be  un- 
maidenly  until  I  am  directly  urged  to  do  so,  to  ask 
myself  whom  I  love.  Yet,  mamma,"  continued  she, 
pausing  for  a  moment,  as  if  she  scarcely  knew  how 
to  define  the  scruples,  "my  conscience  has  told  me 
to  favor  Clarence  Meredith  whenever  he  should 
choose  to  declare  himself." 


AMABEL'S  CHOICE.  22? 

"And  why,  my  beloved  Amabel?"  asked  her 
mother. 

"Because,  mamma,  Clarence  has  told  me  that 
his  convictions  in  religion  led  him  to  my  faith,  and 
such  concurrence  makes  a  perfect  union.  The 
passions  fade  with  youth,  but  truth  remains ;  and 
marriage,  founded  on  the  desire  to  serve  God  in 
that  state  of  life  he  chooses  for  us,  is  the  marriage 
of  Eden." 

"  And  may  such  a  happy  state  be  yours,  my  be- 
loved child ! "  said  Mrs.  Wilton  with  great  emotion, 
pressing  her  fondly  to  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

VARIOUS  EVENTS    IN    CONCLUSION  OF  A  WASHINGTON 
WINTER.  -  FINIS. 


'T^HERE  was  one  other  person  who  read  the 
newspaper  notice  of  Prince  Nikolaus  Skybe- 
loff  s  sudden  departure  —  which  Baron  Skerowski 
had  secretly  caused  to  be  inserted  in  the  morning's 
journal  —  with  a  beating  heart  ;  and  that  person 
was  Clarence  Meredith. 

"  God  is  good  to  me,"  said  he  ;  "  I  will  be  true  to 
Him  ;  "  and  his  first  act  of  gratitude  was  poured 
forth,  as  he  knelt  before  the  altar  of  St.  Matthew's 
Church. 

Some  two  months  later,  one  bright  May  morning, 
a  very  quiet  wedding,  with  a  Nuptial  Mass  and 
Benediction,  took  place  at  St.  Matthew's,  when 
Amabel  Wilton  and  Clarence  Meredith  received 
the  Holy  Sacrament  of  Matrimony,  as  a  sanctified 
and  indissoluble  union,  according  to  the  ritual,  "for 
better,  for  worse,  for  richer,  for  poorer,  in  sickness 
and  in  health,  till  death  do  us  part." 


MARRIAGE  OF  AMABEL  AND  CLARENCE.     229 

The  Madonna  face  of  the  lovely  bride,  and  the 
manly  bearing  of  her  handsome  husband,  as  they 
made  these  solemn  responses,  formed  a  pleasing 
picture.  On  either  side  stood  the  beautiful  Stella 
Stevens,  and  the  talented  Charles  Clysmic  —  who, 
it  was  said,  VJQYQ  fiances. 

As  the  little  party  left  the  church,  Mrs.  Wilton 
escorted  by  Commodore  Reflex  and  Senator  Roland, 
the  Senator  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his 
admiration  of  a  ceremony  which  makes  marriage 
what  it  ought  to  be,  the  solid  and  sure  foundation 
of  an  edifice  upon  which  rests  the  state  and  society. 
"  I  am  more  and  more  deeply  impressed,"  added  he, 
"with  the  absolute  necessity  of  making  the  rite  of 
marriage  a  religious  rather  than  a  civil  union,  and 
of  restraining  the  alarming  freedom  of  divorce." 

The  very  company  sat  down  to  the  wedding- 
breakfast  on  the  third  of  May,  that  had  celebrated 
the  New  Year  at  Mrs.  Wilton's  dinner-table ; 
except  that  two  of  the  number  were  absent, 
Prince  Nikolaus  and  M.  le  Vicomte  De  La  Tour,  — 
who  had  very  unexpectedly  to  all  his  friends  sailed 
on  the  Scythia  at  the  same  time  that  the  Prince 
had  left  the  country. 

From  four  until  six  that  afternoon  Mrs.  Wilton 


230  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

held  a  reception,  at  which  the  best  people  of  Wash- 
ington were  present.  Among  the  guests  was 
Baron  Skerowski,  and  it  was  noticed  that  he  was 
in  a  remarkably  hilarious  mood.  Just  as  he  bade 
adieu  he  handed  the  bride  a  letter,  saying :  "  I 
crave  your  indulgence,  madame,  for  an  oversight 
which  I  now  hasten  to  make  good.  Prince  Niko- 
laus  left  this  letter  with  me  to  give  to  you,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  somewhat  sudden  departure  two 
or  three  months  ago.  You  will  pardon  my  re- 
missness,  I  am  sure,  in  this  your  hour  of  great 
happiness." 

So  saying,  and  handing  her  a  letter  duly  sealed 
with  the  signet  ring  of  the  Prince,  he  departed 
with  a  malicious  smile  of  triumph.  But  Amabel 
was  too  happy  at  that  moment,  and  too  much  agi- 
tated at  the  idea  of  leaving  her  mother,  to  give 
much  heed  to  the  Baron,  and  gave  the  letter  to 
Clarence  to  keep  for  her. 

In  a  few  days  they  left  for  the  superb  home 
which  Clarence  Meredith  had  prepared  for  his 
bride  in  New  York. 

The  approaching  inevitable  termination  of  the 
attentions  of  Clysmic  to  Stella,  which  she  foresaw, 


TEE    WINTER'S  END.  231 

and  the  loss  of  her  precious  Amabel,  —  for  had  she 
not  lost  her  child,  even  though  she  had  gained  a 
good  son  thereby  ?  —  made  Mrs.  Wilton  very  sad. 
She  could  not  conceal  from  herself  the  fact  that 
the  near-coming  decline  of  life  was  now  to  be 
shrouded  in  clouds.  "  To  be  lonely  in  old  age  is 
indeed  terrible,"  thought  she.  "  If  I  were  a  religious 
woman,  I  might  know  where  to  seek  consolation  ; 
but  mere  cultivation  of  the  intellect  only  teaches 
the  need  of  appreciative  companionship." 

Commodore  Reflex  had  been  confined  to  the 
house  for  several  weeks  with  one  of  those  periodi- 
cal attacks  of  gout  which  afflicted  him,  and  Senator 
Roland  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  give  Mrs.  Wilton 
more  time  than  he  had  ever  before  thought  of  doing. 

One  evening,  after  a  little  dinner  of  four,  partie 
carrfa,  Stella  and  Clysmic  were  at  the  piano,  and 
Senator  Roland  and  Mrs.  Wilton  were  in  the  bou- 
doir. "  Have  you  heard  from  Amabel  ? "  asked  the 
Senator. 

"  Not  within  a  day  or  two,"  sighed  Mrs.  Wilton. 

"  Her  absence  makes  you  lonely,  I  fear,"  re- 
marked the  Senator  in  a  reflective  way. 

"  It  is  desolation  itself,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton. 

"  I  know  what  sort  of  loneliness  that  word  de- 


232  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

picts  ;  it  is  of  the  heart,"  said  Senator  Roland,  in  a 
still  deeper  reverie. 

"  And  most  desperate,"  added  Mrs.  Wilton,  as  if 
moaning  to  herself. 

"  But,"  with  a  sudden  grand  confidence  in  him- 
self he  had  never  felt  before,  —  "  But,  my  dear  Mrs. 
Wilton,  however  desperate,  there  is  a  remedy." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  friendship  — 
platonic,  intellectual,  abstract,  and  appreciative. 
It  is  a  rich  boon,  and  we  experience  it." 

"  But,"  added  the  Senator,  still  resolute,  "  there 
is  something  more  —  companionship." 

"  It  is  so,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton.  "  You  always  com- 
prehend more  fully  than  I  do ;  yes,  an  abstract 
companionship,  a  mental  affinity." 

"  But,"  said  the  Senator,  never  relaxing,  "  there 
is  a  higher  state  —  union,  dear  Mrs.  Wilton." 

"  It  is  possible,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton  ;  "  the  perfect 
compatibility  of  two  souls,  —  yes,  that  is  to  be 
desired." 

"But  my  precious,  admired,  respected,  and  be- 
loved friend,  there  is  still  a  higher  happiness  in 
store  for  us,  —  let  us  not  disdain  to  confess  it,  — 
marriage." 

Had  the  heavens  fallen,  poor  Mrs.  Wilton  could 


THE   WINTER'S  END.  233 

not  have  been  more  astounded  nor  more  distressed. 
"  What,"  groaned  she,  "  and  must  I  lose  my  one 
dearest  friend  left  me  on  earth,  —  my  sublime,  un- 
selfish, considerate  companion  ?  O  Richard  Roland, 
I  had  thought  of  you  as  my  best  of  brothers  ;  I  had 
leaned  upon  you  with  a  fulness  of  confidence;" 
and  Mrs.  Wilton  bowed  her  head  and  actually  wept, 
as  all  the  memories  of  the  past  came  rushing  over 
her  soul. 

"Adeline,"  said  Senator  Roland,  "I  supplicate 
you,  as  you  are  far  above  all  other  women  in  intel- 
lect, be  reasonable.  Let  me  ask  you, — are  you  not, 
in  your  inner  heart,  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of 
utter  loneliness  ?  I  know  you  are ;  and  we  both 
know  the  world  too  well  to  suppose  for  an  instant 
that  it  will  tolerate,  outside  of  marriage,  such  com- 
panionship as  we  both  require." 

"  Richard  Roland,"  said  Mrs.  Wilton,  "  my  heart 
is  too  crushed  with  the  deep  sorrows  of  my  life  to 
make  it  worth  your  acceptance.  You  are  worthy, 
my  dearest  friend,  of  the  best  that  a  fresh  life  can 
give.  Do  not  for  a  moment  think  to  sacrifice  your- 
self for  me.  It  is  like  your  grand,  unselfish  nature 
to  do  so  ;  but  I  should  not  be  true  to  you,  were  I 
to  accept." 


234  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

"Adeline,"  said  Richard  Roland,  kneeling  at  her 
feet,  "a  true  affection  rejuvenates.  Let  me  tell 
you,  with  the  fervor  of  youth,  that  I  love  you, 
and  beg  you  to  be  my  wife." 

"Richard  Roland,"  said  Adeline,  "it  is  sheer 
madness,  it  is  irretrievable  folly,  it  is  undignified  ; 
yet,  if  you  will  so  have  it,  the  remnant  of  a  sad- 
dened life  is  yours." 

"  And  God  forever  bless  you,  Adeline,"  said  he 
with  romantic  tenderness,  holding  her  clasped 
hands.  "The  sunset  of  life  grows  brightest  to- 
wards its  close." 

Stella  had  played  some  reveries  at  the  piano,  and 
she  turned,  with  a  doleful  glance,  to  Charles  Clysmic. 
"  This  old  house  moans  for  Amabel  at  every  crev- 
ice," said  she ;  "  I  cannot  be  lightsome,  and  aunt 
is  ready  to  weep  all  the  day  long." 

"  Behold  your  true  knight,  who  would  ever  make 
you  smile,"  said  Clysmic  with  a  mock-heroic  air. 
"  Stella  Stevens,  you  dear  little  charmer,  you  know 
perfectly  well  that  I  have  been  pining  this  many  a 
month  to  hear  you  called  Stella  Clysmic.  Come 
now,  and  let  us  ask  the  blessing  of  your  aunt ;  stop 
all  flirtations,  and  let  me  announce  our  engage- 
ment." 


THE  WINTER'S  END.  235 

As  Charles  Clysmic  half  helped  along  the  coquet- 
tish Stella,  who,  always  laughing  and  protesting, 
said  he  was  "  too  disagreeable  to  live,"  they  reached 
the  boudoir  where  Senator  Roland  and  Mrs.  Wilton 
were  in  conversation. 

"May  I  say,  dear  aunt"  asked  Charles  Clysmic, 
"we  have  come —  Stella  and  I  —  to  ask  your  bless- 
ing ;  we  are  fiances" 

"  Indeed,  dearest  aunt,"  laughed  Stella,  "  he  does 
not  deserve  your  blessing,  — •  proposing  to  take  me 
away-  from  you,  the  naughty  man  !  I  would  not 
leave  you  alone." 

"  My  dear  Miss  Stella,"  said  Senator  Roland,  "  it 
may  overcome  your  unselfish  scruples,  and  lead  you 
to  make  the  gifted  Mr.  dlysmic  happy,  when  I  have 
the  exquisite  satisfaction  of  announcing  to  you  that 
I  am  to  take  care  of  your  aunt.  Yes,"  he  continued, 
with  all  the  ardor  of  the  lover,  "  I  am  to  be  the 
happiest  of  men,  —  the  accepted  future  husband  of 
Mrs.  Wilton." 

"  My  aunt,  my  second  mother,"  said  Stella,  burst- 
ing into  tears, —  "you  would  not  leave  me." 

"  Never,  dearest  child.  I  am  always  your  loving 
second-mother;  but  why  torment  Mr.  Clysmic? 
You  know  you  love  him,"  and  she  placed  Stella's 


236  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

unresisting  hand  in  that  of  the  delighted  jour- 
nalist. 

"Now,"  said  Stella,  fialf-pouting,  "we  are  like 
the  dramatis  persona  of  some  play,  where  all  the 
assorted  couples  stand  before  the  curtain." 

"  Only,  fair  Mischief,"  said  Clysmic,  "  there  is  no 
public  looking  on  to  criticise." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Stella.  "It  is 
too  horrible  to  think  of  the  announcement  of  all 
these  engagements.  What  will  Mrs.  Grundy  say  ? " 

There  was  a  pause,  —  the  silence  of  content  and 
happiness,  —  when  Charles  Clysmic  said  :  "  My 
dear  Mrs.  Wilton,  your  cruel-minded,  lovely  niece 
has  tormented  me  to  such  an  extent  that  I  had  for- 
gotten to  mention  a  strange  bit  of  gossip  which  has 
somewhat  interested  the  beau-monde  abroad,  and 
may  perchance  astonish  my  wilful  Stella." 

"And  pray,  Mr.  Mysterious,  do  you  suppose  I 
am  so  readily  astonished  ?  "  asked  Stella. 

"  Not  at  all,  cherished  Tease,"  said  Clysmic,  "you 
only  astonish  others.  Shall  I  be  silent  ?" 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Stella  ;  "  I  am  dying  to 
hear  ;  something  that  might  be  told  on  the  first  of 
April,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  It  is  this  "  —  answered    Mr.    Clysmic,   "  and 


THE    WINTER'S  END.  237 

thank  God  my  Stella  escaped  the  danger  !  Among 
the  foreign  exchanges  I  receive  is  the  Cannes 
Journal.  This  paper  has  a  very  spicy  little  an- 
nouncement about  Stella's  friend,  and  always  very 
devoted  admirer,  M.  le  Vicomte  DC  La  Tour.  It 
seems  that  this  fascinating  gentleman  was  married 
some  ten  years  since  to  a  French  lady,  who  became 
insane  and  had  to  be  immured  in  an  asylum.  Then 
M.  De  La  Tour  came  to  America.  He  never  said, 
it  is  true,  that  he  was  not  married  ;  he  only  acted 
as  if  he  were  a  free  man,  as  perhaps  the  beauteous 
Stella  knows.  It  was  supposed  at  first  that  Mme. 
De  La  Tour  would  never  recover ;  it  was  even  hoped 
she  might  die ;  but  maladies  of  the  mind  are  sub- 
ject to  strange  freaks.  One  day,  upon  being  told 
that  M.  le  Vicomte  had  left  France,  the  shock 
suddenly  restored  her  reason.  She  became  calm, 
but  said  she  did  not  feel  as  if  she  could  live  long, 
and  she  begged  for  the  speedy  return  of  her  hus- 
band. A  cablegram  was  sent  him  to  that  effect, 
which  he  received  just  in  time  to  leave  on  the 
Scythia,  the  very  day  that  Prince  Nikolaus  hur- 
ried away  in  such  amazing  and  incomprehensible 
haste.  Now  M.  De  La  Tour  arrived  just  in  time 
to  receive  the  last  sighs  of  his  wife,  and  to  assist 


238  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

her  to  make  her  will,  by  which  she  left  her  ample 
fortune,  without  incumbrance,  to  him.  He  is  now 
an  inconsolable  widower  at  gay  Cannes." 

"That  last  announcement  is  particularly  inter- 
esting," interrupted  Stella  with  her  arch  smile. 

"  But  it  comes  too  late  for  you,  most  adorable 
betrothed.  There  is  now  a  promise  of  marriage,  I 
am  happy  to  say,  in  your  case,  which  will  be  urged 
to  its  fulfilment  before  M.  le  Vicomte  can  recu- 
perate and  return,"  said  Clysmic. 

"  Charles  Clysmic,  there  will  be  ample  time  for 
ten  flirtations  and  ten  engagements  while  I  am 
waiting  for  that  old  widower,"  said  Stella. 

The  lune  de  miel  was  still  in  the  ascendant, 
though  Amabel  and  Clarence  Meredith  began  to 
remember  that  there  were  one  or  two  other  people 
in  the  world  beside  the  two  in  the  garden  of  Para- 
dise, when  Amabel  suddenly  paused  from  the  per- 
formance of  a  bewitching  melody  on  the  harp,  and 
exclaimed  :  "  Clarence  dear,  that  letter  !  " 

Now  was  it  some  mysterious  connection  between 
that  harp,  where  the  infatuated  Prince  had  stood 
transport^  at  every  vibration  of  the  chords  from 
those  fairy  fingers,  or  was  it  a  common-sense,  mat- 
ter-of-fact return  of  memory  ? 


THE    WINTER'S  END.  239 

"  What  letter,  precious  ? "  said  Clarence  languidly, 
for  he  had  been  lulled  into  a  poetical  reverie  by  the 
delicious  music. 

"Why,  my  love,  the  letter  that  hideous  Baron 
Skerowski  handed  me  a  fortnight  ago,  with  such  a 
sardonic  smile  that  it  made  me  shudder,  even 
though  I  stood  a  happy  bride  by  your  side,  I  had  a 
feeling  that  it  was  not  for  me  to  keep,  and  I  handed 
it  to  you,  my  dear,"  said  Amabel. 

"  Guardian  angels  protect  us  !  "  exclaimed  Clar- 
ence. "  It  is  still  in  the  pocket  of  my  wedding- 
coat,  chtrie.  I  will  get  it  at  once." 

The  letter  was  placed  in  Amabel's  hands.  Clar- 
ence noticed  the  signet  seal,  and  he  divined  that  it 
was  from  Prince  Nikolaus.  With  sensitive  deli- 
cacy he  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  in  order  that 
Amabel  might  be  left  alone  and  at  liberty  to  read 
it ;  but  with  the  quick  and  upright  sense  of  loyalty 
which  a  true  wife  has,  she  recalled  him,  saying : 
"  Clarence  dear,  please  return ;  the  least  misad- 
venture makes  a  shadow  in  married  life ;  mamma 
has  told  me  so.  I  prefer  that  you  should  open 
this  letter.  We  will  read  it  together;  for  you 
see,"  showing  the  signet  seal,  "it  is  from  Prince 
Nikolaus." 


240  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

Clarence  opened  the  dainty  note  at  her  request. 
Amabel,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  read  :  — 
AMABEL  — 

May  I  say  —  dare  I  say  —  dearest  Amabel,  in  this  mo- 
ment of  bitterest  grief?  I  have  told  Baron  Skerowski  that 
I  shall  never  be  happy  without  you  as  my  wife,  and  he 
insists  that  I  hasten  to  Russia  and  obtain  the  permission 
of  my  Emperor  —  and  of  Gortschakoff,  the  head  of  our 
House  —  to  address  you, — as  well  as  the  sanction  of  my 
good  parents.  With  many  misgivings  I  yield  to  his  better 
judgment,  and  have  the  courage  to  leave  you  now,  that  I 
may  the  sooner  be  enabled  to  return  with  full  permission 
to  offer  you  my  hand  and  the  devotion  of  a  life,  dear  only 
to  me  on  your  account.  May  I,  idol  of  my  soul,  claim 
one  favor?  I  beg,  I  entreat  you,  make  no  decision  in 
favor  of  another,  and  against  my  fond  dreams,  until  I  can 
come  in  person  to  plead  my  cause. 

For  ever  and  ever  thine, 

SKYBELOFF. 

"  Ah  Clarenqe,"  said  Amabel,  "  I  weep  for  him. 
Is  it  not  dreadful  ? " 

"  My  dearest  wife,"  said  Clarence,  "  I  honor  your 
sensibility,  and  I  fear  that  Baron  Skerowski  has, 
from  some  motive  unknown  to  us,  betrayed  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the  ill-fated  Prince. 
But  even  this  sad  denouement  of  his  hopes  is  better 


THE   WINTER'S  END.  241 

far  than  to  have  had  us  regard  him  as  treacherous 
or  dishonorable,  as  indeed  you  must  have  done, 
dear  wife." 

He  paused,  but  Amabel  still  wept.  It  was  so 
awful  to  have  maligned  him,  even  in  her  thoughts, 
as  she  had  done,  —  to  have  loathed  him,  and  cast 
him  aside  as  unworthy  of  one  kind  thought,  —  while 
he,  nobly  reposing  on  her  impartial  regard,  had  left 
his  fate  suspended  in  her  hands. 

Some  such  thoughts  must  also  have  passed 
through  Clarence  Meredith's  mind,  for  he  again 
spoke  and  said :  "  It  is  due,  dearest  wife,  to  your- 
self and  to  Prince  Nikolaus,  that  you  write  him 
a  candid  account  of  all  that  has  transpired.  We 
must  express  our  friendly  admiration,  and  let  him 
know  the  villainy  of  Baron  Skerowski,  for  I  am 
sure  the  detention  of  this  note  until  after  our  mar- 
riage was  intentional  on  his  part." 

"  Clarence,"  said  Amabel,  with  the  quick  intui- 
tion of  a  woman,  "Baron  Skerowski  has  an  only 
child,  Olga,  whom  we  know.  The  desire  of  the 
Prince  to  marry  me  must  have  interfered  with  some 
of  the  Baron's  plans.  The  Prince  told  me  that  the 
Minister  was  a  friend  of  his  mother,  and  had  pro- 
posed that  he  should  visit  America,  and  had  been 
16 


242  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

offended  because  he  did  not  make  his  home  at  the 
Legation." 

"  It  is  clear  enough,"  said  Clarence.  "  Prince 
Nikolaus  has  been  sacrificed  ;  but  oh,  how  thankful 
am  I  to  God  that  he  has  given  you  to  me." 

Amabel,  advised  by  her  husband,  wrote  to  Prince 
Nikolaus : 
PRINCE  NIKOLAUS  SKYBELOFF  :  — 

My  ever-valued  friend,  — Your  kind  and  most  touching 
letter  was  never  received  until  after  my  marriage  to  Clar- 
ence Meredith,  when  the  Baron  Skerowski  handed  it  to 
me.  I  hasten  to  assure  you  of  my  appreciation  of  your 
noble  character,  and  to  wish  for  you  the  reward  of  virtue 
in  this  world  and  the  next. 

My  husband  begs  to  join  me  in  the  expression  of  our 
highest  regard,  and  also  to  say  to  you  that,  in  his  opinion, 
Baron  Skerowski  betrayed  the  trust  you  confided  to  him. 
Yours  with  great  esteem, 

AMABEL  WILTON  MEREDITH. 

Some  months  later,  a  superb  box  filled  with  pas- 
sion-flowers, and  simply  enclosing  the  card  of  Prince 
Nikolaus  Skybeloff,  came  to  Amabel,  who  never 
heard  from  this  unfortunate  man  directly  again.  It 
was  said  that  he  had  left  the  gayeties  of  the  court ; 
and,  his  father  having  died,  he  lived  on  their  vast 


THE   WINTER'S  END.  243 

domain  with  his  widowed  mother,  in  retirement 
from  the  world ;  and  that  all  the  poor,  far  and  near, 
looked  up  to  him  as  to  their  friend  and  benefactor. 
He  never  married. 

About  the  time  that  Amabel  received  the  tribute 
of  passion-flowers,  the  Baron  Skerowski  was  sud- 
denly recalled,  and  another  Minister  sent  in  his 
place.  It  was  said  that  this  wicked  man  was  retired 
in  disgrace,  but  the  reason  was  never  understood. 

His  daughter  Olga,  who  was  a  delicate  girl,  suc- 
cumbed to  the  severity  of  a  Russian  winter,  and 
died  of  a  lung  disease  soon  after  leaving  Washing- 
ton with  her  father,  who  lived  —  childless,  alone, 
and  bereft  of  court  favor  —  on  his  estates  in  the 
interior  of  Russia. 

We  have  now  to  trace  the  fortunes  of  the  Chev- 
alier Pasquale  Benedetto.  He  had  counted  the 
days  until  the  allotted  time  had  expired,  and  Easter 
Sunday  found  him  punctually  at  Carondale. 

The  old  place  gave  forth  its  Allelulias  with  a 
tropical  profusion  of  beauteous  bloom  and  delicious 
fragrance.  Hedges  of  geraniums,  of  roses,  of  lilacs, 
of  japonicas,  confused  the  eye  with  delight;  and 
the  wild  jasmine  garlanded  the  grand  old  park, 


244  A    WASHINGTON  WINTER. 

flinging  its  innumerable  coils  caressingly  around 
the  monarchs  of  the  forest,  and  swinging  forth  in 
the  balmy  air  like  censers  filled  with  incense. 

The  heart  of  Benedetto  leaped  for  joy  as  he 
remembered  his  dear  old  Italian  home,  and  saw 
Nature  here  repeating  herself  in  this,  to  the  Old 
World,  new  continent. 

The  family  servants,  with  their  wonted  instinct, 
knew  that  quality  was  coming.  Dinah  declared, 
that  she  "  knowed  it  in  dis  ole  bones.  De  bootiful- 
lest  young  missus  to  tote  back,  and  go  fixing  up  like 
mad !  Po'  chile !  de  massa  's  to  cum." 

It  was  true  the  Chevalier  did  not  much  resemble 
the  old-time,  madcap,  wild,  rollicking  men  —  with 
ready  and  most  hospitable  welcome  for  a  guest,  and 
the  thrust  of  a  bowie-knife  for  any  hot  word  —  who 
once  held  high  revel  in  these  halls ;  but  he  had  an 
indefinable  bearing  which  the  old  negro  knew  at 
once  never  belonged  to  "  de  po'  white  trash."  So, 
with  many  a  smirk  and  courtesy  they  welcomed  him, 
with  the  uniform  :  "  De  Lor'  bress  dis  massa ! " 

He  arrived  in  time  for  the  six-o'clock  dinner  on 
Easter  Sunday,  and  most  graciously  was  he  received 
by  the  mistress  of  Carondale. 

The  glorious  rays  of  the  setting  sun  flooded  the 


THE   WINTER'S  END.  24$ 

quaintly  panelled  room  with  a  mellow  light,  when 
Benedetto  said :  "  I  have  come,  mistress  of  my 
heart,  to  hear  your  decision." 

"  You  have  come,  dear  Benedetto,"  she  replied, 
"  to  claim  your  bride." 

A  month  later  the  Chevalier  and  Mme.  Pasquale 
Benedetto  were  eii  route  for  a  prolonged  tour  North 
during  the  summer  months  ;  and  little  Percy  was 
very  much  in  love  with  his  curious  new  papa. 

After  Mrs.  Silvester  Spangler  fell  from  her 
chair  in  a  dead  swoon,  on  that  fateful  Mardi  Gras, 
she  had  a  prolonged  and  terrible  illness  of  brain 
fever. 

Senator  Spangler  fumed  and  raged,  and  wanted 
to  send  her  to  an  insane  asylum  ;  and  could  not 
carry  out  any  of  his  projects,  because  the  poor, 
broken-hearted  wife  lay  in  a  continuous  stupor 
much  of  the  time  ;  or,  when  not  comatose,  raved  in 
the  delirium  of  high  fever.  He  had  to  bide  his 
time ;  and  this  was  God's  time,  in  whose  hands 
puny  man  and  his  insensate  plans  are  held  with 
strict  account. 

This  continued  state  of  fury,  in  which  Spangler 
remained,  soon  acted  upon  his  body,  for  he  had 


246  A    WASHINGTON   WINTER. 

long  looked  as  if  he  might  die  of  spontaneous  com- 
bustion any  minute. 

One  debilitating  April  morning,  after  a  sleepless 
night,  he  sat  at  the  breakfast-table  in  his  dressing- 
gown,  and  ordered  the  morning's  paper.  In  it  he 
read  the  announcement  of  the  marriage  of  Mme. 
De  Beaulieu.  Five  njinutes  later  a  groan,  followed 
by  the  thud  of  a  heavy  fall,  was  heard  by  the  faith- 
ful Pat  Maloney,  who  ran  quickly  and  found  the 
Senator  foaming  at  the  mouth  and  breathing 
stertorously. 

"Och,"  says  Pat,  "run  man,  it'll  be  murther, 
an'  I  be  kilt  iatirely." 

The  sixteen  doctors  sent  for  pronounced  it  apo- 
plexy, just  as  his  soul,  in  charge  of  its  attendant 
demons,  fell  into  Hades. 

Mrs.  Silvester  Spangler  was  first  aroused  by  the 
unusual  stir  in  the  household.  When  told  that  her 
husband  had  suddenly  died,  —  as  not  unfrequently 
happens  when  some  great  emotion  calls  into  power- 
ful force  all  the  remaining  strength,  —  she  rallied. 
It  was  thought  that  the  shock  would  kill  her,  in 
her  then  enfeebled  state,  but,  like  an  electrical 
power,  it  saved  her. 

As  Senator  Spangler  left  no  will,  the  property  all 


THE   WINTER'S  END.  247 

went  to  her ;  although  it  was  found,  as  is  often  the 
case  in  the  settlement  of  estates,  that  there  were 
so  many  debts  as  to  absorb  much  that  remained. 
But  Mrs.  Spangler  was  considered  a  wealthy  widow, 
and  perchance  might  marry  another  senator,  who 
would  not  ask  for  a  divorce  from  a  new  and  rich 
wife. 

And  the  claim  of  Mme.  De  Beaulieu  ?  Alas  for 
the  ingratitude  of  republics !  Although  this  most 
righteous  claim  had  papers  in  proof  of  its  state- 
ments, signed  by  General  Grant,  —  although  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  never  denied  its 
justice,  —  to  this  day  it  remains  an  unpaid  debt  of 
a  nation  not  bankrupt. 


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